Deadly influenza virus shipments missing: WHO

Deadly influenza virus shipments missing: WHO
CTV.ca News Staff

Health experts have destroyed most samples of a deadly influenza strain mistakenly sent to labs around the world; but two shipments meant to reach Mexico and Lebanon are missing, UN officials said Friday.

"We don't know where these boxes got lost, but the investigation into what has happened between the shipment of these panels and their non-arrival is ranking very high on our 'to do' list," WHO influenza chief Klaus Stohr said, referring to the Mexico and Lebanon shipments.

The samples were unintentionally sent to nearly 4,000 labs in 18 countries at the request of the College of American Pathologists, which assists laboratories to do quality testing.

Most of them have been destroyed so far, The World Health Organization confirmed Friday, but two shipments meant to reach Mexico and Lebanon are unaccounted for.

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