Pharmaceutical Firm Dumps Polio Virus into the River

Published on by in Business

Pharmaceutical Firm Dumps Polio Virus into the River

Staff Working at a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Facility Dumped More Than 45 Liters of Concentrated Live Polio Into the Water at a Belgian Treatment Plant

The incident happened on September 2, although news of the event has only recently been reported. According toa statementfrom the Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment in Belgium "human error" resulted in the live virus making its way into the Lasne and Dyle rivers in Rixensart.

The cause of the "human error" is unknown, although it seems that some safety protocols were not followed.Facing Finance suggeststhat the error was due to an employee making a mistake in a usually routine tank cleaning process. What is known is that approximately 45 litres of water that was infected with the polio virus leaked from a water purification plant at the factory,according to Flanders News.

The safety notice continues: "The liquid was rejected, according to initial information provided by the firm GSK, due to human error during the process of vaccine production. The water from the treatment plant in question is not discharged to the supply network for drinking water."

A Belgium governmental organisation, the Scientific Institute of Public Health and the Supreme Council of Health, has conducted a risk analysis and has concluded that users of the rivers, such as swimmers, anglers, and passers-by, are all at a very limited risk of infection. Nonetheless, the government agency does advise any person who is worried to check their vaccination status. Water plant workers, considered at higher risk of infection, were given polio vaccination.

Furthermore, according to thewebsite Infowars, the government body indicates "For precautionary measures, samples of sludge and water from the treatment plant, the Lasne and Dyle will be taken to permit an assessment of the persistence of the virus. Pending these results, it is advised to avoid contact with the water downstream of the WWTP Rosieres, to the confluence of the Lasne with Dyle." Source: Digital Journal

Read More Related Content On This Topic - Click Here

Media

Taxonomy