Six Smallpox Vials Found in FDA Lab Storage Room
Posted on July 8, 2014
Six glass vials containing smallpox were discovered in the storage room of an FDA laboratory located in Bethesda, Maryland. The vials had been there since the 1950s. They have since been transfered to the CDC's high-containment facility in Atlanta.
The CDC says in a release that the vials were labeled variola. It is not known whether the vials contain the variola major or variola minor strain or both. Variola major is the worst strain of the disease.
It is good the vials were found but it is very disturbing they were sitting around unsecured for so long. NBC reports that at least one expert is concerned the find could mean there are more forgotten smallpox vials out there.
Smallpox was eradicated in 1977. It was a horrific disease. The variola major strain of smallpox killed about 30% of those infected and often left survivors with lifelong scars. Dr. D.A. Henderson, who led the effort to eradicate smallpox, told NPR earlier this year that smallpox was the most serious infectious disease that mankind has ever endured. He says, "What is particularly disturbing to the patient, certainly, is that they're inside of the mouth and over the tongue. So he has trouble eating, and he has trouble drinking. It's probably the most horrible disease you can imagine."
All labs worldwide were required the destroy their smallpox stockpiles with the exception of two lab sites where the virus is kept for research. One of the labs is at the CDC in Atlanta and the other lab is located at a facility in Novosibirsk, Russia. The World Health Organization (WHO) oversees inspection of these smallpox labs.
The CDC notified the WHO about the vials. The CDC plans to test the samples to see if the variola samples are viable. After testing the CDC will destroy the vials. The CDC has invited WHO officials to witness the destruction of the vials.