Boston U delayed reporting possibly lethal bacteria exposure

[midnight armadillo]

Background: Boston University is trying to open a biosafety lab in the very densely populated South End of Boston. Research would be conducted on diseases such as ebola, smallpox, etc. Yup, Level 4 biohazard research in the middle of a city. They've convinced the city & state (but not the local residents, naturally) to approve it, and are waiting on EPA approval.

Now this news:
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BU delayed reporting possibly lethal exposure

By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff | January 20, 2005

Boston University officials waited nearly two weeks to notify public health authorities that they had serious concerns that researchers might have been exposed to a potentially lethal bacterium while conducting experiments, a delay that could have violated laws requiring prompt reporting of suspected infectious disease cases.The university yesterday confirmed that on Oct. 28, test results showed that researchers who had thought they were working with a harmless variety of the bacteria tularemia instead had been working with material that appeared to be contaminated and that might have caused illnesses in three researchers. In May, two scientists had fallen ill with flu-like symptoms, and in September, a third became ill, raising suspicions that they had developed tularemia.
Story: http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/01/20/bu_delayed_reporting_possibly_lethal_exposure/

Critics blast BU, city officials
Incident renews debate on biolab

By Alice Dembner, Globe Staff | January 20, 2005

Boston University and city officials squandered public trust and galvanized opposition to a planned high-security laboratory by waiting until this week to tell city residents that three BU researchers were infected last year with a potentially lethal bacterium in a less-secure lab, advocates and elected officials said yesterday.
Story: http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/01/20/critics_blast_bu_city_officials/

How events unfolded after the exposures
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/01/20/how_events_unfolded_after_the_exposures/

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I can't say I'm surprised. As a doctoral graduate, I spent years observing the general contempt of the administration for the students, esp. the undergrads. That they would then treat public health with the same attitude is just par for the course. It's an excellent university but the pricks who run it are, well, major corporate whores and pricks. Noam Chomsky once told me (on the occasion I met him) that BU was the worst school he knew of for sucking up to corporate money....

[Ian David]

1. Do you remember the toxic-fume dorm evacuation a few years back?

After days of student complaints and illness, BU was finally forced to evacuate a dorm due to tolulene fumes.