by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, reposted with permission
(Apr. 1, 2023) — The original arguments for calling for a moratorium on gain-of-function research were made by a group of scientists and public health experts in 2014. The group of scientists and public health experts who made the call in 2014 included Dr. Marc Lipsitch, Dr. Richard Ebright, Dr. Bruce Alberts, and others.
They argued that such research posed an unnecessary risk to public health, as it could lead to the accidental release of potentially harmful organisms or the intentional misuse of these organisms by terrorists. The evidence used to win the argument included the potential for an accidentally released organism to cause an outbreak, as well as the fact that these organisms could be used in bioterrorism.
The lab escapes before 2014 that were cited by the group of scientists and public health experts who made the call for a moratorium in 2014 included the escape of H5N1 bird flu viruses from a lab in the Netherlands in 2011, the escape of a SARS virus from a lab in Germany in 2012, and the escape of H7N9 bird flu viruses from a lab in China in 2013.
But the public was not and is still not aware of the full extent of the history of biosafety laboratory failures. Here’s a short list from Wikipedia, starting in 1988. This is not a complete list of the known lab safety failures:
1988: Soviet Union. Marburg virus disease. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection.
1990: Soviet Union. Marburg virus disease. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection, death.
2001: United States. Anthrax. Event: Bioterrorism.
2002: United States. Fort Detrick. Anthrax. Event: containment breach.
2002: United States. West Nile virus. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection.
2003: Singapore. SARS-CoV-1. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection.
2003: Taipai. SARS-CoV-1. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection.
2004: Beijing. SARS-CoV-1. Event: laboratory infection, person-to-person transmission
2004: Russia. Ebola. Event: laboratory infection, death.
2004: United States (Plum Island): Foot-and-mouth disease virus. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection.
2005: US+17 other countries. H2N2 influenza virus. Event: testing kit distribution.
2005-2015: United States. Anthrax. Events. 74 shipments of live Anthrax (‘accidental’)
2007. United Kingdom Foot-and-mouth disease virus. Event: laboratory discharge.
2009. Germany. Ebola. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection.
2009. United States. Yersinia pestis. Event: Laboratory-acquired infection, death.
2010. United States. Swine Fever Virus. Laboratory accidental release.
2010. United States. Cowpox. Laboratory-acquired infection.
2011. Australia. Dengue. Laboratory-acquired infection.
2012. United Kingdom. Anthrax. Accidental shipments of live virus.
2012. United States. Neisseria bacterium. Laboratory-acquired infection. Death.
2013. United States. H5N1 Influenza virus. Laboratory-acquired infection.
2014. United States. H1N1 Influenza virus. Laboratory animal escape.
2014. United States. H5N1 influenza virus. Accidental shipment (CDC to USDA).
2014. United States. Smallpox. Event: Laboratory mislabelling (last samples had been thought to be destroyed).
2014. United States. Burkholderia bacterium. Outdoor animal facility infection.
2014. Sierra Leone. Ebola. Event: Laboratory infection.
2014. South Korea. Dengue. Laboratory infection.
2016. United States. Zika. Laboratory infection.
2016. Australia. Nocardia bacterium. Laboratory infection.
2018. Hungary. Ebola. Event: Laboratory infection.
2019. France. Prions. Laboratory infection ten years prior. Death.
2019. China. Brucella. Infection.
2021. Taiwan. SARS-CoV-2 (Delta). Laboratory leak.
Read the rest here.