Army: 3 vials of virus samples missing from Maryland facility

[Jeffersons Ghost]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Missing vials of a potentially dangerous virus have prompted an Army investigation into the disappearance from a lab in Maryland. The Army's Criminal Investigation Command agents have been visiting Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, to investigate the disappearance of the vials. Christopher Grey, spokesman for the command, said this latest investigation has found "no evidence of criminal activity."

The vials contained samples of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis, a virus that sickens horses and can be spread to humans by mosquitoes. In 97 percent of cases, humans with the virus suffer flu-like symptoms, but it can be deadly in about 1 out of 100 cases, according to Caree Vander Linden, a spokeswoman for the Army's Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. There is an effective vaccine for the disease and there hasn't been an outbreak in the United States since 1971.

The vials had been at the research institute's facility at Fort Detrick, home of the Army's top biological research facility, for more than a decade. The three missing vials were among thousands of vials that were under the control of a senior scientist who retired in 2004. When another Fort Detrick scientist recently inventoried the retired scientist's biological samples, he discovered that the three vials of the virus were missing. The original scientist's records about his vials dated back to the days of paper-and-pen inventories.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/22/missing.virus.sample/index.html

Doesn't this make you wonder what other viruses the Army has and how they use them?

Far be it from me to suggest that the US Army would defy the Geneva Conventions and engage in biological warfare but they're not known for breakthrough research in vaccine development.

[TZ]

1. Actually you are DEAD wrong there.

USAMRIID has TONS of CRADA's with both academic and private companies and has done quite a bit of work on finding and developing new vaccines...Right now they are working on one for EBOLA one of the world's most deadly viruses and something the people in Africa desperately need. Also they are working on vaccines for Marburg, Rift Valley Fever, WEST NILE VIRUS, anthrax (a better one than the flawed one currently being used). Thats just to name a few. How do I know? I worked on some of those CRADA, AND know more than a few people who work there.
What it makes me wonder about, is how well they are training their people and how they are keeping track of their reagents.
Just because you don't hear about USAMRIID's research doesn't mean its not important..This is what pisses me off about DU..the blatant ignorance about biological research. :banghead:

[datasuspect]

2. that's something pretty specific to be pissed about

LOL

[northernlights]

3. No, it doesn't make me wonder what other viruses they have

but I do wonder what in the world they cared about VEE for? There's been a vaccine available for it in the horse world for pretty much forever. Or it just feels that way -- it's usually part of the encephalitis/tetanus vaccine complex (Eastern, Western and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis plus tetanus) that the vast majority of horse owners give their horses every spring and, during very wet years, may booster in late summer to early fall. The vax, like most horse vaxes 'cept rabies, doesn't require a veterinarian. So those of us feeling the financial pressure and trained to do IMs do it ourselves.

And, um, yes they are involved in vaccine development.