Sudan fighting brings "huge biological risk" as lab holding samples of deadly diseases occupied, WHO

[womanofthehills]

Geneva — Fighters have occupied a national public laboratory in Sudan holding samples of diseases including polio and measles, creating an "extremely, extremely dangerous" situation, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday. Fighters "kicked out all the technicians from the lab... which is completely under the control of one of the fighting parties as a military base," said Nima Saeed Abid, the WHO's representative in Sudan.

He did not say which of the two warring factions had taken over the laboratory, as a tense truce appeared to be largely holding Tuesday, easing more than a week of intense fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the country's RSF paramilitary group. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-virus-risk-world-health-organization-says-lab-occupied-disease-samples/

[brooklynite]

1. And who decided this was a good place for storage?

[womanofthehills]

4. According to Telegraph - "internationally funded lab"

The laboratory’s website says it is partnered by nations including China, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea and international agencies including the WHO, the World Food Programme and the World Bank.

Staff at the laboratory also warned that a lack of functioning generators was adding to the biological hazards and leading to blood stocks being spoiled.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former commander of the British military’s chemical, biological and nuclear defence unit, said the capture of the lab would raise fears of an accidental or even deliberate release of harmful diseases.

He said: “The chance for people to get hold of deadly pathogens and use them for malicious activities is obviously high. I think now the United Nations should be pushing to get people in there to make sure that the lab is safe.
“If the wrong people get hold of this stuff, they could turn it into a quite major disaster.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/sudan-unrest-militia-rapid-support-forces-who-khartoum/

[womanofthehills]

2. Technicians not able to remove dangerous biological material

A WHO representative expressed concern that the technicians in Sudan don’t have access to go back into the lab and safely remove the dangerous biological material. Image by AFP

https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/industry/healthcare/extremely-dangerous-risk-as-fighters-in-sudan-occupy-lab-holding-measles-and-polio-samples-world-health-organization-warns

[ret5hd]

3. Geez...why wasn't that stuff autoclaved weeks ago?

[womanofthehills]

5. World Bio 4 labs map

Link to tweet

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