FBI and CDC investigate as vials labelled ‘Smallpox’ found in US lab freezer
- In 1980, the World Health Assembly declared smallpox eradicated after it killed nearly a third of people infected
- Only two labs in the world are authorised to store samples: one in Russia and the other in Atlanta
Several vials labelled as “smallpox” were discovered at a Merck & Co vaccine research facility near Philadelphia, prompting the FBI and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to open investigations, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
According to the unclassified “For Official Use Only” alert – obtained by several media outlets – sent by the Department of Homeland Security, there were a total of 15 “questionable vials”, five of which were labelled as “smallpox” while the other 10 were labelled as “vaccinia”. The vials were immediately secured upon discovery, and a lockdown of the facility has since been lifted.
“There is no indication that anyone has been exposed to the small number of frozen vials,” the CDC said in a statement. “The frozen vials labelled ‘smallpox’ were incidentally discovered by a laboratory worker while cleaning out a freezer in a facility that conducts vaccine research in Pennsylvania. CDC, its administration partners, and law enforcement are investigating the matter and the vials’ contents appear intact.
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“The laboratory worker who discovered the vials was wearing gloves and a face mask. We will provide further details as they are available.”
Smallpox, a deadly and contagious virus, was declared eradicated in 1980 by the World Health Organization after a concerted global vaccination effort. The virus had infected 15 million people a year and killed about 30 per cent of them, with the last known outbreak in the US in 1947.
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There are two sites designated by the WHO where stocks of variola virus are stored and used for research: the CDC facility in Atlanta and a centre in Russia.
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Scientists have long debated whether to destroy any remaining samples, with some arguing against the danger because the samples could be needed to develop new vaccines in response to a new outbreak.
A majority of Americans are not vaccinated against smallpox, according to the CDC.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no treatment or cure for smallpox. A vaccine can prevent it, however, the vaccine’s side effect risk is too high to justify routine vaccination.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
