Samples of Deadly Virus Destroyed, Says CDC
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
All of the potentially lethal flu virus samples mistakenly sent over the last several months to thousands of labs in 18 countries have been destroyed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in Atlanta.
The virus responsible for 1 million deaths in a 1957 flu pandemic was distributed in error by Meridian Bioscience Inc. of Newton, Ohio, in a practice kit used to test the proficiency of lab workers. No illnesses were reported from the incident.
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