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A brief, terrifying history of viruses escaping from labs: 70s Chinese pandemic was a lab mistake
National Post [Canada] / Slate ^ | April 11, 2014 | Martin Furmanski

Posted on 04/12/2014 7:23:32 PM PDT by canuck_conservative

....Virologists, using serologic and early genetic tests, soon began to suggest the cause of the reappearance was a laboratory escape of a 1949-50 virus, and as genomic techniques advanced, it became clear that this was true. By 2010, researchers published it as fact: “The most famous case of a released laboratory strain is the re-emergent H1N1 influenza-A virus which was first observed in China in May of 1977 and in Russia shortly thereafter.” The virus may have escaped from a lab attempting to prepare an attenuated H1N1 vaccine in response to the U.S. swine flu pandemic alert.....

In 2007, Foot and Mouth Disease appeared again in Britain, 4 kilometers from a biosafety level 4 laboratory—a designation indicating the highest level of lab security—located at Pirbright. The strain had caused a 1967 outbreak in the United Kingdom but was not then circulating in animals anywhere. It was, however, used in vaccine manufacture at the Pirbright facility. Investigations concluded that construction vehicles had carriedmud contaminated with FMD from a defective wastewater line at Pirbright to the first farm. That outbreak identified 278 infected animals and required 1,578 animals to be culled. It disrupted U.K. agricultural production and exports and cost an estimated 200 million pounds.

Federal law bans FMD virus from the continental United States, and it is held only at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plum Island facility off Long Island, N.Y. Currently, however, its replacement, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, is under construction in Manhattan, Kan., under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security. Moving FMD research to the agricultural heartland of the United States was opposed by many groups, including the Government Accountability Office, but Homeland Security decided on the Kansas location. In upgrading facilities to counter the threat of agro-bioterrorism, the department is increasing the risk....

(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: laboratory; pandemic; pathogen; virus
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

Yeah, I’ll take a Big Breakfast....


21 posted on 04/12/2014 9:31:50 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: canuck_conservative
1975 BBC series "Survivors" season 1.
22 posted on 04/12/2014 10:02:10 PM PDT by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: canuck_conservative

There is, or was, an island named Vozrozhdeniya in the Aral Sea wherein certain experiments were conducted. I say “was” because due to the other idiotic environmental projects the Soviets conducted, that “island” now has a land bridge. And so anything that was on it, now can be ferried off by any animals who carry it. And has been. Pleasant dreams.


23 posted on 04/12/2014 10:14:15 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Jack Hydrazine
哎 呀
24 posted on 04/12/2014 10:21:42 PM PDT by logi_cal869
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To: Jack Hydrazine
Pronounced:

āi​ yā​

LOL

25 posted on 04/12/2014 10:24:13 PM PDT by logi_cal869
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To: canuck_conservative

A Resident Evil plot. Also 28 days later plot.


26 posted on 04/12/2014 11:08:56 PM PDT by RginTN
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To: canuck_conservative

“I’m “really good at killing people.”


27 posted on 04/13/2014 3:42:53 AM PDT by Oratam
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To: Billthedrill
Vozrozhdeniya

I read there was an extremely high incidence in the feral animal population of Francisella tulerensis near that island, almost epidemic in nature.

28 posted on 04/13/2014 6:35:02 AM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: 2ndreconmarine; Fitzcarraldo; Covenantor; Mother Abigail; EBH; Dog Gone; ...

Ping! (Thanks, canuck_conservative!)


29 posted on 04/13/2014 7:20:30 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: canuck_conservative
"In 1976, H1N1 swine influenza virus struck Fort Dix, N.J., causing 13 hospitalizations and one death. The specter of a reprise of the deadly 1918 pandemic triggered an unprecedented effort to immunize all Americans. No swine H1N1 pandemic materialized, however, and complications of immunization truncated the program after 48 million immunizations, which eventually caused 25 deaths."

We are from the Gov't lab that poisoned you, We are here to help.

30 posted on 04/13/2014 7:37:30 AM PDT by Delta 21 (Its my freedom. YES. I will be keeping it.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

Thanks for the ping!


31 posted on 04/13/2014 7:48:12 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: canuck_conservative; neverdem; ProtectOurFreedom; Mother Abigail; EBH; vetvetdoug; Smokin' Joe; ...
Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

32 posted on 04/13/2014 9:46:02 AM PDT by null and void (The British declared war on the Tea Party. The Tea Party won! (Thanks mom!))
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To: vetvetdoug
” Ft. Dietrich in Maryland has enough lethal viruses and bacteria to eradicate the US; one loony tune with access to them could wreck havoc.”

I read an article in Washingtonian magazine back in the 70’s Ft. Dietrich had an incident with variant of SV-40 (Simian vacuolating virus 40). A worker, Asa Gordon, stumbled in the parking lot on the way in and scuffed his knuckle, breaking the skin and causing a slight abrasion. He worked with the virus in a containment chamber via arm long gloves. After he left work a routine safety check detected a break in the gloves and traces of human blood. The race was on to find who worked that station.

In the meantime Asa went home and got ready to go to a group dinner at a local restaurant. He already was starting to feel “funny”.When he got there the restaurant was closed and the manager met him at the door and said the dinner was canceled and he should go home. He went home and started to get sick. He called for medical help and was taken to a hospital in Frederick MD. He was gravely ill at that time.

Government personnel showed up and had the floor he was on evacuated and all nurses and doctors checked for any symptoms. His room was sealed and two technicians monitored his conditions remotely till he died. His body was sealed in a special container. All equipment in the room had similar treatment. The floor and walls were pulled off and taken away to be incinerated.

While the Washingtonian magazine was doing research about the story all records of Asa Gordon were systematically destroyed. When they first started there were no records beyond the 6th grade. After that even those records disappeared. I believe someone at the hospital tipped the magazine about him. From time of contamination to death by a raging cancer seems to be about 48hrs. Apparently the virus wasn't airborne and only transmitted by contact with body fluids, similar to Ebola

I am taking this from memory so my time line may be off a bit but the name and the virus are correct.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SV40

33 posted on 04/13/2014 10:27:55 AM PDT by Polynikes (What would Walt Kowalski do. In the meantime "GET OFF MY LAWN")
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To: Alamo-Girl

You’re Welcome, Alamo-Girl!


34 posted on 04/13/2014 11:15:02 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: canuck_conservative

FMD is in North America. My grandfather remembered it.

We just shut up and shovel better.


35 posted on 04/13/2014 1:05:01 PM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

Egg Flu Young?


36 posted on 04/13/2014 1:06:46 PM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

There are issues involving frozen bodies in the tundra and possible exposure to things like Spanish Flu and Smallpox


37 posted on 04/13/2014 1:08:26 PM PDT by AppyPappy
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