PLEASE SEE the March 17th Update of this story.
A Few More Details On The Baxter Mishap
# 2843
Helen Branswell, science and medical reporter for The Canadian Press, brings us another in-depth report on the `serious error' by Baxter Pharmaceuticals that allowed the H5N1 virus to be accidentally sent to a lab in the Czech Republic.
Since Ms. Branswell is simply one of the best science reporters around, I'll step out of the way and let her explain it.
Follow the link to read the full article.
Baxter: Product contained live bird flu virus
By Helen Branswell, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Last Updated: 27th February 2009, 3:26pm
The company that released contaminated flu virus material from a plant in Austria confirmed Friday that the experimental product contained live H5N1 avian flu viruses.
And an official of the World Health Organization’s European operation said the body is closely monitoring the investigation into the events that took place at Baxter International’s research facility in Orth-Donau, Austria.
“At this juncture we are confident in saying that public health and occupational risk is minimal at present,” medical officer Roberta Andraghetti said from Copenhagen, Denmark.
“But what remains unanswered are the circumstances surrounding the incident in the Baxter facility in Orth-Donau.”
The contaminated product, a mix of H3N2 seasonal flu viruses and unlabelled H5N1 viruses, was supplied to an Austrian research company. The Austrian firm, Avir Green Hills Biotechnology, then sent portions of it to sub-contractors in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Germany.
The contamination incident, which is being investigated by the four European countries, came to light when the subcontractor in the Czech Republic inoculated ferrets with the product and they died. Ferrets shouldn’t die from exposure to human H3N2 flu viruses.
(Continue . . .)
