Infecting monkeys with the 1918 influenza virusOk, so I might not be a scientist, but I still would know better than to infect monkeys with a strain of flu that killed 50 million people. I know that they have safety protocols, but it still seems rather careless in my opinion. "In the new study, conducted in a high-level biosafety laboratory (BSL 4) at the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory, seven primates were infected with the reconstructed 1918 virus. Clinical signs of disease were apparent within 24 hours of infection and within eight days euthanization was necessary. The rapid course of the disease mirrors how quickly the disease ran its course in its human victims in 1918." So only after 8 days of exposure the monkeys had to be euthanized. I just hope that none of the virus would ever escape the lab. I can just imagine what a terrorist would do with a strain of flu like that. I know that tests like this help us understand the current avian flu outbreak, but I just hope it stays in the lab. Did anyone else see the movie "28 days later" or "12 monkeys"... It is always those damn dirty apes... lol. Just kidding of course. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-01/uow-sua011607.php |
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