Mice infected with bubonic plague escape in New Jersey.

[NNadir]

In another celebration of the inability of Americans to manage simple risk analysis, the United States of America, a once prominent nation in North America that is in an intellectual, moral and economic free fall, has established labs to deal with so called "bioterrorism."

In this effort they have contracted scientists to play with bubonic plague infected rodents.

The rodents in question didn't find the whole matter amusing and blew the joint, exercising a classic "break-out."

"NEWARK, N.J. - Three mice infected with the bacteria responsible for bubonic plague apparently disappeared from a laboratory about two weeks ago, and authorities launched a search though health experts said there was scant public risk.


The mice were unaccounted-for at the Public Health Research Institute, which is on the campus of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and conducts bioterrorism research for the federal government.

Federal official said the mice may never be accounted for. Among other things, the rodents may have been stolen, eaten by other lab animals or just misplaced in a paperwork error.

If the mice got outside the lab, they would have already died from the disease, state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs said.

The possibility of theft prompted the institute to interrogate two dozen of its employees and conduct lie detector tests, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported Thursday.

The FBI said it was investigating. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also investigating, the newspaper reported..."

This looks like a job for....


BROWNIE!!!!!!

(He needs a job.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050915/ap_on_sc/missing_mice

[neweurope]

1. Bush had tipped his hand day before yesterday when he said

you "need to be prepared for BIOLOGICAL terrorist attack".

By the way is anybody still trying to find out about that home-made Anthrax?

------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[ClintonTyree]

2. Oh christ.........

that's all we need.
"If the mice got outside the lab, they would have already died from the disease, state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs said."
And been eaten by other vermin that will pass it to other vermin and so on and so forth.
This country is cursed as long as bush is president, I'm convinced of that. I know this has no link to bush whatsoever, but I just have that feeling that until this country has a new leader and a new direction we're cursed.

[neweurope]

3. Maybe Bush IS the Antichrist....

;)

------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[htuttle]

4. How the hell do they 'lose' plague rats?

Are they letting the infected mice run around the lab outside their cages at night, or what?

I would have to assume they'd been stolen, which probably means somebody plans on doing something with them. Something probably bad.

[phantom power]

5. I wouldn't rule out carelessness and/or stupidity.

But a deliberate theft is for sure a disturbing possibility.

[NNadir]

6. Um, now let's not minimize the abilities of the rats themselves.

Rats are people too or people are rats or something like that. In any case, many rats are homosexuals and other rats are atheists, and so far as I know, all rats have consistently refused to say the pledge of allegiance.

I personally think that the rats themselves planned this and executed the break out. No one could have anticipated that they might do this, of course, but I think that in any case, if you want to play the blame game, New Jersey has a Democratic Governor and a Democratic Legislature, and rats are rats are rats if you know what I mean.

I'd like to report further from New Jersey, but I can't talk now, I've got this swelling under my arm, and this fever and oh, yeah, I'm choking on something. :-)

The Anthrax attack - remember that one - by the way, happened very near here: "All full of sound and fury, signifying nothing..."

[Massacure]

7. lmao! Your sarcastic remarks are amusing.

Seriously though, I'm pretty sure Americans are more related to obedient sheep than rats.

[dcfirefighter]

8. "Bring out yer dead! . . . Bring out yer dead!" n/t

[Boomer]

9. My favorite movie line!

:rofl:

[Nihil]

10. Hmmm ... rodents escaping from scientific institution ...?

Anyone else think of the rats of NIMH?
That involved a number of rats assisted by a mouse ... but they were
never found ...

(Book: "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"; Film: "The Secret of NIMH")