Labs destroy killer flu samples

Samples of a deadly influenza virus sent to labs outside the United States have all been destroyed save one, the World Health Organisation says.

That last sample had been missing in Beirut but was located at the airport and will soon be destroyed, said the WHO which earlier raised an alert.

Samples missing in Mexico and South Korea were also found and destroyed.

Influenza kits containing the deadly virus were sent to laboratories in the US and 18 other countries by mistake.

The labs were meant to test the proficiency of flu vaccines

The vast majority of the 3,747 samples sent out between October 2004 and February of this year were delivered to labs in the US.

"There are still some laboratories in the United States that haven't confirmed the destruction of the samples they were sent," said WHO spokeswoman Maria Cheng.

But, she added, 98% of the samples in the US have been confirmed as destroyed.

Worries of a pandemic

The H2N2 virus of 1957, known as the Asian Flu, killed between 1m and 4m people.

It has not been included in vaccines since 1968 and anyone born after that date would have little or no immunity to it.

WHERE THE VIRUS WENT Europe: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy Americas: Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the US Asia: Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan Middle East: Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia Q&A: Asian Flu scare

Most of the samples were sent out last year at the request of the College of American Pathologists (Cap) to help labs test the effectiveness of vaccines.

The WHO said the virus could "easily cause an influenza epidemic" if not handled properly.

They urged the destruction of the virus and on 8 April, the US government asked Cap to write to the laboratories affected - of which 61 are outside the US and Canada - telling them to destroy the samples.

Officials were concerned that the virus could be used in bio-terrorism and letters were sent to laboratories before the mistake was made public.

There have been no reports of anyone becoming ill from handling the virus.