Federal laboratories having difficulty accounting for pathogens

Government labs, including the one handling samples of swine flu, struggle to keep track of viruses and bacteria, a recent audit found.

The Public Health Agency of Canada document warns weak controls at federal facilities could allow harmful pathogens to go missing, or be used for less-than-scientific purposes.

"The tracking systems and processes currently in use have difficulty accounting for pathogens cultivated in the laboratory environment," the audit says.

The agency's findings earlier this year came as scientists at Winnipeg's National Microbiology Laboratory were testing hundreds of samples of what now is known as the H1N1 flu virus.

Part of the problem, the audit found, is that each lab has its own way of taking stock of its germs.

"Some facilities incorporate a mixture of manual and electronic recording or tracking systems," the audit says, "which could result in a pathogen being misplaced or become the subject of unauthorized activity."

Such was the case earlier this year when 22 vials of biological material went missing from the National Microbiology Laboratory.

www.cbc.ca...

Sounds about right.

Sounds like total insanity.

Sounds like a train is coming.

Here's a thread from back in May 2009 with some more background info on this topic. www.abovetopsecret.com...

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing just how safe we are with the lack of proper security protocols dealing with these nasty diseases and viruses. I personally don't think H1N1 happened naturally. There are a lot of theories claiming that it was released from a lab either by accident or on purpose. This article/audit shows how easy it could be and that it is a real possibility. Wonder if the powers that be would ever tell us the truth though.

I love how if you ask any Joe on the street how this stuff should be taken care of, he or she could in 5 minutes, describe a system that would be more effective than the one in place now. It's pretty sad if you think about it. Do these people actually think all of this is acceptable? Or is it all just part of their plan?

I suppose the amazing thing is given the scale of incompetence that any of us are left to complain about it.

:shk:

Originally posted by Hereno
I love how if you ask any Joe on the street how this stuff should be taken care of, he or she could in 5 minutes, describe a system that would be more effective than the one in place now. It's pretty sad if you think about it. Do these people actually think all of this is acceptable? Or is it all just part of their plan?

Thats so true, its like governments get too big, for there own good, lol.

Anarchy or governments, lol.

Both states of society are bad, i wonder what ancient peoples thought about the systems they where in.

Great find... and I applaud your cross-referencing the old thread that many newcomers may not have seen!

The story keeps manifesting itself as a tangle of unconnected dots and lines....

It merits investigation, if for no other reason than the timing of events.....

[edit on 15-11-2009 by Maxmars]