from Hacker News

Accidental release of 45L of polio virus solution into the environment – Belgium

by joe_bleau on 10/4/14, 12:13 AM with 70 comments

• by PhasmaFelis on 10/4/14, 1:29 AM

  What's baffling me is that no source I've been able to find (in English, anyway) sees fit to mention the cause of this accident beyond blandly citing "human error."

  Human Error.

  "Well, you know, I was just taking my 12-gallon tank of polio for a walk down by the water treatment plant, and whoops! Butterfingers!"

  I just. I don't. How.

• by userbinator on 10/4/14, 1:19 AM

  Here's the reassuring part from the linked PDF:

  On 8 September 2014, the Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment in Belgium confirmed that samples of mud and water taken from the Rosieres treatment plant, river Lasne and river Dyle, all tested negative for the presence of polio virus.

  But... 45L of "concentrated polio virus"? Although it'd probably be classified, I'd love to see the full detailed report on how and why this happened.

• by johnchristopher on 10/4/14, 6:27 PM

  I am from Belgium (and currently living there). Newspapers reported at the time that it actually was 45 liters of a solution contaminated with the polio virus, not 45 liters of a polio virus concentrated solution.

  https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&pr...

  http://www.biopharma-reporter.com/Downstream-Processing/Prod...

  The word 'concentrated' seems to have been picked up over the last few days.

• by Ecio78 on 10/4/14, 5:48 AM

  It looks like Belgians have some problems with water sources. This is in the news here in Luxembourg http://www.wort.lu/en/luxembourg/pesticide-spill-tap-turned-...

• by SoCool on 10/4/14, 2:44 PM

  Something is being covered up and the explanation for such huge mistake doesn't add up. 1. Why was such a large amount of a potent virus stored in one container or multiple container? 2. Why all of it was available to a single/group of persons ? 3. If it's a group of person, then it must be a planned act. 4. How can Pharmaceutical companies pour something directly into the water channels without going through some kind of filteration and detection system ? 5. Why there is not more internet/media coverage on a such a big incident ?

• by bayesianhorse on 10/4/14, 7:41 AM

  I don't think this is such a big deal. After massive dilution and water treatment, there won't be any viable particles left to infect anyone from the 5% unvaccinated Belgians. Let's hope I'm right.

• by jedanbik on 10/4/14, 2:37 PM

  So how much is this going to cost GSK? I hope I'm not the only one asking this question.

• by raphinou on 10/4/14, 8:40 AM

  Was it covered in belgian media?

• by Havoc on 10/4/14, 3:49 PM

  Whats the purpose of have 45L of concentrated Polio??? For private consumption?

• by jdimov on 10/4/14, 4:16 PM

  Not a great year for Glaxo... first the China bribes, now this. I'm sure they'll manage, though.

• by datashovel on 10/4/14, 3:44 PM

  Originally when I read I thought "perhaps there was a leak in a barrel or something like this. I glazed over the "following human error" part.

  Hypothesizing brings me to conclusion that this has to be caused at least in part by companies probably trying to streamline by merging branches or departments.

  If I'm a fly on the wall in the board room I'm sure I hear something like: "Sure, of course it makes financial sense to manage all barrels of stuff headed for water-treatment facility in the same warehouse, and by the same team, as where we keep our barrels full of polio and other harmful viruses. Layoff the other department, close down the other warehouse, and merge the two asap"

• by iaw on 10/4/14, 12:23 AM

  Safety protocols are fantastic, why do so few people follow them?

• by acd on 10/4/14, 10:51 AM

  Was this quote and quote "misstake" or real misstake? I mean if they sell a vaccine, Polio is exterminated no need to sell the vaccine but if you accidentally spread it again you still can sell the vaccine.