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Texas Biolab Loses Deadly Guanarito Virus

CONOFVIS

Registered User
Jan 27, 2013
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The Galveston National Laboratory lost one of five vials containing a deadly Venezuelan virus, according to the University of Texas Medical Branch, which owns the $174 million facility designed with the strictest security measures to hold the deadliest viruses in the country.

Like Ebola, the missing Guanarito virus causes hemorrhagic fever, an illness named for "bleeding under the skin, in internal organs or from body orifices like the mouth, eyes, or ears," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is clearly an incident that is very discomforting and embarrassing to the University of Texas Medical Center and their national biosecurity lab that they have there," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. "You can be sure there are a lot of sweating people down the chain at that institution."

Fortunately, losing a vial of Guanarito is not as threatening as losing a vial of anthrax, said Schaffner, a former president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. The virus could theoretically spread between humans, but it usually only spreads between rodents in Venezuela.

Researchers don't believe the virus can survive in rodents in the U.S., according to a statement from David Callender, president of the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Still, the virus has caused "at least several hundred cases" of human disease in regions where it is common, said NIH's director of the Office of Biodefense Research Affairs, Michael Kurilla.

"The mortality is anywhere from at least 10 to 20 percent or slightly more," Kurilla told ABCNews.com, adding that there is no treatment or cure for Guanarito. "That is considered very, very severe if you have a 1 in 5 chance of dying without anything to do for the person other than provide supportive hospital care."

Kurilla said the Galveston biolab requires the most stringent safety measures because it studies biosafetly level BSL-4 materials, or dangerous infectious diseases that have no vaccines or cures. BSL-4 materials include Guanarit, Ebola and smallpox.

The Galveston researchers were conducting a routine inspection on March 20 and 21 when they noticed there were only four Guanarito vials instead of five. They announced the lapse on March 23.

The university does not believe this was the result of a security breach or any wrongdoing, but it notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An investigation is ongoing, but researchers suspect the vial was destroyed "during normal laboratory sterilization practices," according to Callender's statement.

All solid waste in BSL-4 labs is typically disposed of via a pressurized heating process that destroys hazardous materials without allowing the liquid to boil away, Kurilla said. As such, it's unlikely that investigators will be able to determine and prove whether this is what actually happened to the vial.

It's possible investigators will find the clerical error that led to the accidental disposal, but with computerized record keeping, it's less likely that vial numbers were transposed and the error can be easily traced, Kurilla said.

Schaffner agreed.

"I suspect that they may not ever be able to account for it if it was that kind of human error," Schaffner said. "This is a record-keeping issue, which means it was a human issue, which means doing that kind of tedious, important work, there was just a momentary slip up."
 

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Daveyjones

Registered User
Feb 14, 2013
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This type of shit really really pisses me of i mean seriously? Why do they even have these labs set up in mainland untied states where everything is densely populated. I understand the need to study, but not at the risk of significant loss or even extinction of human life. And its not just the USA any where where it is densely populated these viruses should not be present. It's like the ultimate breeding ground for mutation.
 

frizzlefry

Registered User
Jan 8, 2013
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Thank God it's not as horrible as losing a vial of Anthrax, lmfao, what a jerk. I mean it's not as bad as an A-bomb going off in every major American city. It's not as bad as a coordinated attack by an Army of vengeful Sasquatches. It's not as bad as the gates of Hell opening up and swallowing the earth in an inferno of carnage. It's not as bad as allot of things, but is that really the point. :naughty1:
 

Maverick

AnaSCI VIP
Dec 16, 2004
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they should test cures for that shit on child molesters and rapists. If it works..great...if not that's great too. One more cho mo gone!
 

Daveyjones

Registered User
Feb 14, 2013
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@Frizzlefry "army of vengeful sasquatchs" lmfao!!

@Maverick i actually wrote a term paper on that. Teacher thought i was crazy lol
 

Old Man River

Registered User
Feb 14, 2013
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The BIG STATE OF TEXAS!
Still alive and kicking on the Island!

Ridiculous.they should be fined like an oil spill in the ocean.... Anyone hear from old man river .he's in texas, on some island with upset ex-wives ..
Yes, Galveston is the island I work on. Yes, I helped with the construction on the GNL for 4 years. Don't panic! The fail safe systems they have in place are without a doubt the best in the world. The accountability by human error will be first to fail,not the system. I'll put a little humor to it. Nothing leaves the island if anything ever escapes. This includes surfers, fishermen and fisherwomen,shrimpers,beachbums,:eek:
and me!
 

Old Man River

Registered User
Feb 14, 2013
122
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The BIG STATE OF TEXAS!
Ironbuilt, my ex-wives are all happy! They all had a piece of me! No More Wives! It ain't happening. It's nothing but ladyfriends from here on out. Things may change if I come across a lady with a killer body, her head right, and a few oil wells! Later, OMR
 

Old Man River

Registered User
Feb 14, 2013
122
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The BIG STATE OF TEXAS!
Rory, Gaidos! Yes, a good place for seafood,but there are better! I have the best flounder hole on the island. Baked flounder stuffed with white crabmeat and shrimp! Can you dig it? Later, OMR
 

Rory

Banned
Sep 29, 2012
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Rory, Gaidos! Yes, a good place for seafood,but there are better! I have the best flounder hole on the island. Baked flounder stuffed with white crabmeat and shrimp! Can you dig it? Later, OMR

Damn! I gotta check that out in a month when I'm out that way. I love that place an there's another place in Alabama that has the best shrimp I've ever had.