Pandemic feared as WHO urges return of flu strain

Thousands of scientists were scrambling Tuesday at the urging of global health authorities to destroy vials of a pandemic flu strain sent to labs in 18 countries as part of routine testing.

The rush, urged by the World Health Organisation, was sparked by a slim, but real, risk that the samples, could spark a global flu epidemic.

“The risk is relatively low that a lab worker will get sick, but a large number of labs got it and if someone does get infected, the risk of severe illness is high and this virus has shown to be fully transmissible,” WHO’s influenza chief, Dr. Klaus Stohr, told The Associated Press.