Scientists Scramble to Destroy Vials of Pandemic Flu Virus Sent to Thousands of Labs Mostly in US:
"It was not immediately clear why the 1957 pandemic strain, which killed between 1 million and 4 million people - was in the proficiency test kits routinely sent to labs.
It was a decision that Stohr described as 'unwise,' and 'unfortunate.'
That particular bug was 'an epidemic virus for many years,' Stohr said from the U.N. health agency's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. 'The risk is low but things can go wrong as long as these samples are out there and there are some still out there.'
The 1957 strain has not been included in the flu vaccine since 1968, and anyone born after that date has no immunity to it.
Dr. Nancy Cox, chief of the influenza branch at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said her agency was notified of the situation Friday morning. She also said officials strongly doubt someone deliberately planted the dangerous germ or that this was an act of bioterrorism.""
Why worry about terrorists at all, when we have scientists with this little common sense, sending out dangerous viruses...
"Hey, at least our demise wasn't a deliberate act of terrorism, it's because of incompetence". That makes me feel better.