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bananas

(27,509 posts) Sat Nov 22, 2014, 11:01 AM Nov 2014

Robbers steal 'Ebola blood samples' in Guinea

Source: Al Jazeera

Robbers in Guinea have stolen blood samples believed to be infected with Ebola, the Red Cross in the West African nation has said.

The samples, stored in tightly wrapped vials tucked into a cooler bag, were in the care of a Red Cross courier who was among nine passengers sharing a taxi when three men on a motorbike robbed the vehicle and took the samples, said Saa Mamady Leno of the Red Cross in Gueckedou.

The robbers forced the passengers out of the vehicle on Wednesday, stole mobile phones, cash and jewelry, and fired into the air as they demanded the handover of the cooler bag, Leno said.

The courier was taking the blood samples on a 265km journey along winding rural roads from central Kankan prefecture to a test site in southern Gueckedou.

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Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/11/robbers-steal-ebola-blood-samples-guinea-2014112283852605362.html

17 replies

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Highlight:

Robbers steal 'Ebola blood samples' in Guinea (Original Post) bananas Nov 2014 OP

Terraists with spray bottles!!! in 3, 2, 1.... Thor_MN Nov 2014 #1

Human beings are far more dangerous than the Ebola virus. FLPanhandle Nov 2014 #2

I wonder if they knew what it was. nt valerief Nov 2014 #3

why steal blood? irisblue Nov 2014 #4

to sell as a weapon? Voice for Peace Nov 2014 #6

They robbed everyone jberryhill Nov 2014 #14

If they do not know how to handle it this could end in a lot of deaths. jwirr Nov 2014 #5

That reads like an old Three Stooges episode. TheCowsCameHome Nov 2014 #7

Yay! now maybe Fox will start providing 24-7 Ebola coverage again corkhead Nov 2014 #8

And this happened in Africa too Proud Liberal Dem Nov 2014 #10

There was some show recently that had a similar plot line Mosby Nov 2014 #9

It is probably some small biotech company wanting the virus to culture and make a vaccine cosmicone Nov 2014 #11

It was a general robbery of everyone there jberryhill Nov 2014 #15

Most likely - they had no idea what was in the bag, but hedgehog Nov 2014 #12

That's what I think too. It's very grimly funny. Death takes a Holiday! Hekate Nov 2014 #13

I hope they think it's tomato juice and drink it Reter Nov 2014 #17

Probably easier and safer to steal blood samples than get a body, if one wants to experiment jtuck004 Nov 2014 #16

Thor_MN

(11,843 posts)

1. Terraists with spray bottles!!! in 3, 2, 1....

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 11:08 AM

Nov 2014

FLPanhandle

(7,107 posts)

2. Human beings are far more dangerous than the Ebola virus.

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 11:27 AM

Nov 2014

I would be safer with the vials than with the robbers.

valerief

(53,235 posts)

3. I wonder if they knew what it was. nt

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 11:52 AM

Nov 2014

irisblue

(32,997 posts)

4. why steal blood?

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 11:55 AM

Nov 2014

WTH?

Voice for Peace

(13,141 posts)

6. to sell as a weapon?

Reply to irisblue (Reply #4)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 01:39 PM

Nov 2014

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

14. They robbed everyone

Reply to Voice for Peace (Reply #6)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 03:52 PM

Nov 2014

It was a package... they took it.

The notion they were looking for these samples is foolish, since there are easier ways to obtain ebola infected blood.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)

5. If they do not know how to handle it this could end in a lot of deaths.

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 12:29 PM

Nov 2014

TheCowsCameHome

(40,168 posts)

7. That reads like an old Three Stooges episode.

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 01:50 PM

Nov 2014

Not funny in this case, but c'mon. , really?

corkhead

(6,119 posts)

8. Yay! now maybe Fox will start providing 24-7 Ebola coverage again

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 01:51 PM

Nov 2014

no wait, the election is over.

nevermind

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,416 posts)

10. And this happened in Africa too

Reply to corkhead (Reply #8)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 02:01 PM

Nov 2014

It's ok for them as long as it's infecting/killing them over there.

Hope they find these guys and retrieve the samples (preferably unopened).

Mosby

(16,320 posts)

9. There was some show recently that had a similar plot line

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 02:00 PM

Nov 2014

thieves stole a bunch of stuff and then opened the containers and died from the resulting infection.

Can't think of the name.

cosmicone

(11,014 posts)

11. It is probably some small biotech company wanting the virus to culture and make a vaccine

Reply to bananas (Original post)

Sat Nov 22, 2014, 02:32 PM

Nov 2014

If a company orders the virus - even inactivated -- from the CDC, they get a visit by the FBI, massive scrutiny and all of their imports and exports delayed. Not having multiple biotech companies working on a vaccine is the main reason why there is no vaccine yet.