Missing Lab Mice Infected With Plague

Buford C Nuzzle-Chunks writes "PhysOrg is reporting that 'The FBI and New Jersey officials have started a hushed but intensive search for three missing lab mice reportedly infected with deadly strains of plague'. The Washington Post says it's not that big a deal, but I was dismayed at the PhysOrg article's quote from Richard Ebright, a Rutgers University microbiologist, about certain federal bio-terrorism labs: 'You have more security at a McDonald's than at some of these facilities.'"

Comments

Common in NM

[glarvat]

That's nothing. The bubonic plague is actually relatively common (as plagues go) in New Mexico... Those mice are probably on a cross country trip to join their brethren.

You don't know the half of it

[ebrandsberg]

How many labs were flooded during Katrina? How many of those were doing research of this type? What, you can't answer that? Point is, nobody knows WHAT people will be exposed to down there. Three rats with Plague is nothing compared with what could be unleashed.

Don't freak out

[(Score 5, Flamebait)]

The bubonic plague is treatable with antibiotics as long as you treat it fairly soon.

And this is NOT like it's something that we've wiped out completely and would annihilate mankind if it reappeared -- actually there are still between 1000 and 3000 cases every year, including some in North America.

So yeah -- if you live near where the mice escaped and you come down with a nasty flu (and those, uh, buboes), you should make sure you get it checked out immediately... but it's no disaster.

Plague is no big deal around here

[LunaticTippy]

Bah, we always have prairie dogs around colorado with Plague.

Nobody seems to care much.

http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/openspace/nature/pdog_ plague.htm

Maybe I could sell prairie dogs on ebay to dim terrorists, been looking to supplement my income.

Plague

[LordMyren]

One of my neighbors got the plague. He's like one of the three people on the planet that somehow managed to catch the bubonic plague that year. What shitty luck.

Evidently the good news for him is that he's now immune.

Re:Have they checked the obvious?

[ryanov]

There is also some uncertainty about whether or not they actually existed. The experiment called for 24 mice and one of each type (3 groups) is missing. Either they changed the plan and used 21, or someone took three. There's no paper trail, apparently, so no one is really certain.

New Bioterrorism Lab for Downtown Boston, Ma.

[maggard]

There's a battle going on in Boston, Ma. USA right now about a new level 4 biodefense lab a local university and the CDC want to build downtown. The folks who will be running it are the same ones who recently accidentally infected themselves with tularemia. So far there's been lotsa opposition, this will only add to the concerns.

The Mass. Nurses Association has the best take I've read.

Re:What's the big deal? NJ breeds 'em strong

[Anonymous Coward]

A transplanted New Jerseyan I know works for a Midwestern branch of the CDC. During the anthrax attacks in late 1991, she pointed out that none of the New Jerseyans who got sick actually died from it, even the ones who got the more dangerous form of the disease. Her point was that people who live in NJ regularly face environmental hazards, and it just makes them stronger.

As for me, I'm not going to argue with anyone who glows in the dark.

Not surprising.

[TheWhaleShark]

That quote is right on. I work in a BSL 2 lab (fooborne pathogens, like Salmonella, Listeria, E.coliO157:H7, and so forth) for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and I can certainly say that our "security" is laughable at best. We have a security guard posted at the front door to the lab from 9 AM to about 4 PM. Most people arrive at or before 8 AM.

And a quick story about other outstanding security...adjacent to the building where I work is an office of the Department of Homeland Security. About 3 months ago, myself and one of my coworkers, who is about 25 (I'll be 23 in a few days), decided to go up and poke around. We're young lab workers, so we were just in street clothes; in particular, I was wearing a Slayer T-shirt and jean shorts (my professional-looking lab attire). Neither of us had our badges out, and we poked around Homeland Security for a solid 15 mintues. Nobody stopped us, asked to see ID, nor even asked if we worked there.

Yeah, most labs could probably stand to beef up their security.

Re:Have they checked the obvious?

[operagost]

The "plague" would actually be less virulent in a group with low immunity because it would kill faster. Pandemics come in two types: slow ones that kill a lot of people over time, or fast ones that kill a much smaller number in a short time, then fade away. It is much harder to transmit a disease when the carrier is dead.

Some strains of bacteria are harder to kill now because of overuse of antibiotics.

Re:Deadly?

[LurkerXXX]

The main reason plague was so bad back in the old days wasn't just from foot travel. The people believed in all sorts of crazy stuff and believed at the time that it was spread by cats. Cats being the familiars to witches who were the real root of the evil disease. Just kill all the cats and you'll be safe from the plague... Except that led to a huge increase in the mouse/rat population, which carried the infected ticks.

Now that we know the science behind it we are better armed to control it. Then again, with the right-wing extremists gaining more and more power in the country, pseudo-science (homeopathy, etc) is on the rise, we will probably be back to witch hunts soon, and plaque will rule again.