SOMEHOW, SOMEONE STOLE 709 VIALS OF DANGEROUS PATHOGENS FROM A BRAZILIAN LAB
The fact that the last decade in particular has been so fraught with fear and anxiety leaves me a bit surprised this isn’t bigger news. Especially considering just how much the now-constant news cycle delivers both fear and anxiety, and how much social media amplifies both. But as of now, almost no one is reporting, never mind breathlessly, how someone stole 709 vials of dangerous viruses from a Brazilian lab. 709 sounds like a hell of a lot. Because it’s SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINE VIALS. It’s a lot. Unfortunately, these dangerous viruses weren’t a study of variations of the common cold or even severe flu variants.
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AT LEAST SOME OF THESE AIRBORNE PATHOGENS CAN BE DEADLY TO HUMANS
No. Unfortunately, so far we know that included in these stolen vials were samples of Eastern equine encephalitis, as well as oropouche. Both can make humans extremely sick, and both can be deadly. It’s not clear from the limited reporting to date, but many if not all of these samples are dangerous, as the Brazilian lab is a biosafety level 3, or BSL-3. This means these vials carried pathogens that can cause serious to lethal disease exposure from inhalation. I’d say take a breath, but that means you catch it from breathing near someone who already has it. For context, BSL-3 is one tier level below labs that deal with…. Ebola.
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WHO TOOK THE 709 VIALS? WHY DID THEY TAKE IT? WHAT’S THE FULL LIST OF STOLEN PATHOGENS?
But for some reason, most people haven’t heard about this yet. The lab in question is the Evandro Chagas Institute in Belém, Brazil, and is one of Brazil’s most lauded disease research centers. It’s not clear when the vials were stolen, or by whom. Their absence was only discovered when staff went thru a routine inventory check. Local police are investigating, which is good. What leaves me nervous is the fact that someone bypassed all the security protocols and walked out with 709 vials of dangerous diseases, and presumably have their own ultra-cold freezers to keep them viable.
So what would someone want with so many dangerous pathogens?
Nothing good.
