Re:Accidental release of 45L of polio virus solution into th...
by electromagnetic on Saturday October 04, 2014 @02:50PM
(#8410195)
Don't attribute to malice what can be attributed to simple stupidity.
It was 45L of concentrated polio virus solution. 45L is about the upper limit of a human portable storage vessel for liquids. 10 gallon portable water coolers are common, and we're talking 12 gallons here.
My guess is someone was corner-rolling it to transport it a short distance rather than getting a coworker or using a dolly. All it takes is the lid being improperly secured and all that liquid is going down a floor drain.
The virus doesn't live long outside the body, with the exception being an infected person faeces.
This is likely not receiving much media attention because it's not a big incident. Aside from a few waste treatment workers who'll have to be extra cautious the city will simply cut back on workers going down into the sewers for a couple weeks.
Unless faeces are getting into the water supply, there's negligible risk. And if faeces were getting into the water supply, there'd be a bigger news story here than this incident.
It was 45L of concentrated polio virus solution. 45L is about the upper limit of a human portable storage vessel for liquids. 10 gallon portable water coolers are common, and we're talking 12 gallons here.
My guess is someone was corner-rolling it to transport it a short distance rather than getting a coworker or using a dolly. All it takes is the lid being improperly secured and all that liquid is going down a floor drain.
The virus doesn't live long outside the body, with the exception being an infected person faeces.
This is likely not receiving much media attention because it's not a big incident. Aside from a few waste treatment workers who'll have to be extra cautious the city will simply cut back on workers going down into the sewers for a couple weeks.
Unless faeces are getting into the water supply, there's negligible risk. And if faeces were getting into the water supply, there'd be a bigger news story here than this incident.