WHO: Deadly Viruses Gone Missing
By Cihan News Agency
Published: Friday 15, 2005
zaman.com
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that two thirds of a batch of deadly viruses misplaced in analysis kits have been destroyed, but that the kits to be shipped to Mexico and Lebanon have gone missing.
The WHO had previously asked for the destruction of the viruses that were sent to a total of 18 countries including US, Canada, France, and Brazil. The WHO's flu ourbreak director Klaus Stohr said that these have been destroyed, but that information from Mexico and Lebanon labratories say the kits were never received. Stohr added that even though there is a posssiblity that the shipments were never sent, they cannot be certain.
According to Stohr, in Hong Kong, Belgium, Singapore, Canada, Chile, Germany, France, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan, the viruses have been destroyed. No confirmation of destruction has been received from Saudi Arabia, Bermuda, Brazil, Israel, and Japan though some have asked the WHO how to destroy the viruses.