Health authorities in at least 18 countries, including the United States, rushed today to destroy samples of a deadly flu virus that were accidentally sent to laboratories around the world.
The flu virus, known as H2N2, killed as many as 4 million people during the deadly 1957 Asian flu pandemic, and fears of a similarly devastating global flu disaster today propelled health officials to action.
The virus was mistakenly sent to more than 6000 laboratories by a private company, Meridian Biosciences Incorporated of Cincinnati, OH, as part of a test kit for labs seeking routine certification. News of the distribution of the virus raises alarm over how easily deadly pathogens like the H2N2 flu strain can be released.
Shankar Vedantam, national reporter for the Washington Post, reports on the latest.
Guests:
Shankar Vedantam is national reporter for the Washington Post.
