World Health body sparks flu pandemic alert

Thousands of scientists were scrambling 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 vials of virus sent by a US company went to nearly 5,000 labs, mostly in the US, officials said yesterday.