Researchers in Louisiana at the supposedly high-security Tulane National Primate Research Center have a lot of explaining to do on how they somehow managed to let a deadly bacteria escape their facility. They had one job, yet they’ve kept quiet about this massive mistake since November, which only makes matters worse since this particular bacteria has a 50% fatality rate of those who come in contact with it.
According to USA Today, careless researchers claim there is no threat to the public of becoming infected from the bacteria –Burkholderia pseudomallei — but in the same breath, also admitted that there has been contamination, but they aren’t sure to what extent. That’s certainly not comforting to know. So, while they openly confess the accidental release of the bacteria is something they are taking “extraordinarly seriously” and is “very disturbing” to them, they want the public to take their word for it that all is okay. They also don’t know how it made it out in the open, or at least that’s the story they’re sticking to.
The bacteria breach was discovered when four monkeys that were not used in studies became infected, two of which were ultimately euthanized. A federal worker who had visited the center also tested positive, but officials were quick to caution the public to not overreact to that yet either since there is a minuscule chance that he got it from abroad. Sure seems like a legit excuse, considering he was for sure in the center where the bacteria got loose, wouldn’t that be the more obvious place he came in contact with it?
Before now, existence of this bacteria was uncommon in the U.S. but much more prevalent in Northern Australia and Southeast Asia. It can easily infect people and primates through cuts in the skin and is typically found in soil and water. Symptoms of infection begin like a common cold. Humans who have it may feel like they have the flu, get a fever, headache, loss of appetite, and joint and muscle aches.
The major concern many officials are remaining mum on, is the frightening fact that this specific bacteria has been studied for use as a potential bioweapon, ABC reported.
But rest easy knowing that there is an investigation going on, conducted by a crack squad of savvy personnel, to determine how this virus escaped, because now four months after it got out, they still haven’t been able to figure that out.
“The fact that they can’t identify how this release occurred is very concerning,” biosafety expert Richard Ebright told the newspaper.
But the lab said they’re on the job and hope to know sooner than later. “We’re taking this extraordinarily seriously. It’s very disturbing to us,” Andrew Lackner, director of the Tulane primate center, told USA Today. “Right from the beginning we’ve spent an enormous amount of time trying to figure out how this could have happened.”
Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, now the public needs to be concerned about who can’t keep track of a deadly bacteria that’s just out there without answers about how it happened. Seems odd that a research lab, allegedly with top-notch security, can be completely dumbfounded on how bacteria broke free and infected four animals and a human. It’s really hard to buy what these officials are trying to sell Americans.