Don't attribute to malice what can be attributed to simple stupidity.
It was 45L of concentrated polio virus solution. 45L is about the upper limit of a human portable storage vessel for liquids. 10 gallon portable water coolers are common, and we're talking 12 gallons here.
My guess is someone was corner-rolling it to transport it a short distance rather than getting a coworker or using a dolly. All it takes is the lid being improperly secured and all that liquid is going down a floor drain.
The virus doesn't live long outside the body, with the exception being an infected person faeces.
This is likely not receiving much media attention because it's not a big incident. Aside from a few waste treatment workers who'll have to be extra cautious the city will simply cut back on workers going down into the sewers for a couple weeks.
Unless faeces are getting into the water supply, there's negligible risk. And if faeces were getting into the water supply, there'd be a bigger news story here than this incident.
Comments
Don't attribute to malice what can be attributed to simple stupidity.
It was 45L of concentrated polio virus solution. 45L is about the upper limit of a human portable storage vessel for liquids. 10 gallon portable water coolers are common, and we're talking 12 gallons here.
My guess is someone was corner-rolling it to transport it a short distance rather than getting a coworker or using a dolly. All it takes is the lid being improperly secured and all that liquid is going down a floor drain.
The virus doesn't live long outside the body, with the exception being an infected person faeces.
This is likely not receiving much media attention because it's not a big incident. Aside from a few waste treatment workers who'll have to be extra cautious the city will simply cut back on workers going down into the sewers for a couple weeks.
Unless faeces are getting into the water supply, there's negligible risk. And if faeces were getting into the water supply, there'd be a bigger news story here than this incident.