2 Utah labs received flu virus samples

"Most of the sample was actually already gone," he said, explaining that the process of testing for virus subtype leaves little behind. "We just finished off what was left on Monday."

ARUP sent a statement to Utah media Wednesday saying that it had received some of the samples from CAP for its quality-control testing.

Dr. Edward Ashwood said that ARUP had received six of the samples in all and they had each been destroyed.

Typically, the proficiency kits are sent out about three times a year, said Ashwood, ARUP lab director. Usually they hang onto the samples after they've used them for the tests until they get their scores back. "Then we re-evaluate them if we missed the mark." In this case, the lab had successfully identified each of the samples.

To show that they've destroyed the sample, each of the labs must provide a dated, signed statement attesting to the fact, Mendenhall said.

None of the scientists who handled the samples at either ARUP or the state health lab have shown any signs of H2N2 infection, a risk that the national and international health experts described as "extremely low." CAP said that as of Wednesday, there had been no reports of any H2N2 infection associated with distribution of the samples.

CAP asked on Tuesday that any case of respiratory disease among laboratory workers be investigated and reported to national authorities, the WHO release said.

WHO also asked that biosafety procedures be re-examined in cases of influenza viruses that have not circulated recently in humans, for which most people would have no protective immunity.

---

E-mail: lois@desnews.com