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WHO says there is a biological risk after lab take-over in Sudan

10 points by jonas_kgomo 3y ago

cs702 3y ago
The following Reuters article has more detail: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudan-fighting-abates-overnight-allowing-more-people-flee-2023-04-25/ https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudan-fighting-abates-o... Quoting: > ... the WHO's Nima Saeed Abid said gunmen had thrown technicians out of the National Public Health Laboratory. "This is the main concern: no accessibility to the lab technicians to go to the lab and safely contain the biological material and substances available," he said. A pathogen escaping an obscure lab in Africa is probably the last thing the world needs right now :-(
- Genbox 3y ago
  Unless the fighters plan to innocolate themselves onsite with the refrigirated samples, then I don't think we have much to worry about. Both cryopreserved and cryodesiccation viruses needs special handling. I don't think these fighters are mastermind terrorists, but in case I'm wrong, then I hope survaliance is keeping track of cryotransports and some carrier group can be convinced to take action with a short notice.
  - cs702 3y ago
    Thank you. That's helpful to know! :-)
  - LorenPechtel 3y ago
    I do not think there is any *direct* threat--only airborne pathogens could escape on their own and that would require a lot more than just thawing out. However, I do think there's some risk--looting. Something dangerous might be unknowingly carried out of there and there's a variety of pretty nasty things they might have samples of.
- jonas_kgomo 3y ago
  Another expert said: The situation doesn't sound globally dangerous - but you don't want to get a cholera, polio or measles outbreak there right now. Hard to judge risk: more likely stuff gets destroyed than spreads. https://twitter.com/anderssandberg/status/1650870860247441408 https://twitter.com/anderssandberg/status/165087086024744140...
jonas_kgomo 3y ago
For context here is a link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-virus-risk-world-health-organization-says-lab-occupied-disease-samples/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-virus-risk-world-health-o... > Fighters have occupied a national public laboratory in Sudan holding samples of diseases including polio and measles, creating an "extremely, extremely dangerous" situation, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday. Fighters "kicked out all the technicians from the lab... which is completely under the control of one of the fighting parties as a military base," said Nima Saeed Abid, the WHO's representative in Sudan

10 points by jonas_kgomo 3y ago

The following Reuters article has more detail: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudan-fighting-abates-overnight-allowing-more-people-flee-2023-04-25/ https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sudan-fighting-abates-o... Quoting: > ... the WHO's Nima Saeed Abid said gunmen had thrown technicians out of the National Public Health Laboratory. "This is the main concern: no accessibility to the lab technicians to go to the lab and safely contain the biological material and substances available," he said. A pathogen escaping an obscure lab in Africa is probably the last thing the world needs right now :-(

Genbox 3y ago
Unless the fighters plan to innocolate themselves onsite with the refrigirated samples, then I don't think we have much to worry about. Both cryopreserved and cryodesiccation viruses needs special handling. I don't think these fighters are mastermind terrorists, but in case I'm wrong, then I hope survaliance is keeping track of cryotransports and some carrier group can be convinced to take action with a short notice.
- cs702 3y ago
  Thank you. That's helpful to know! :-)
- LorenPechtel 3y ago
  I do not think there is any *direct* threat--only airborne pathogens could escape on their own and that would require a lot more than just thawing out. However, I do think there's some risk--looting. Something dangerous might be unknowingly carried out of there and there's a variety of pretty nasty things they might have samples of.
jonas_kgomo 3y ago
Another expert said: The situation doesn't sound globally dangerous - but you don't want to get a cholera, polio or measles outbreak there right now. Hard to judge risk: more likely stuff gets destroyed than spreads. https://twitter.com/anderssandberg/status/1650870860247441408 https://twitter.com/anderssandberg/status/165087086024744140...

jonas_kgomo 3y ago

For context here is a link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-virus-risk-world-health-organization-says-lab-occupied-disease-samples/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sudan-virus-risk-world-health-o... > Fighters have occupied a national public laboratory in Sudan holding samples of diseases including polio and measles, creating an "extremely, extremely dangerous" situation, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday. Fighters "kicked out all the technicians from the lab... which is completely under the control of one of the fighting parties as a military base," said Nima Saeed Abid, the WHO's representative in Sudan