Published Date: 2001-05-22 23:50:00
Subject: PRO> Hepatitis C virus, vaccine research
Archive Number: 20010522.0994

HEPATITIS C VIRUS, VACCINE RESEARCH
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See Also

2000
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Hepatitis C, nosocomial transmission - Germany 20001221.2240
Hepatitis C virus, risk assessment 20000726.1243
1998
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Hepatitis C, WHO calls for incr. awareness (03) 19980509.0918
Hepatitis C, WHO calls for increased awareness (02) 19980508.0901
Hepatitis C - UK 19980609.1102
Hepatitis C - UK (02) 19980614.1121
Date: Tue 22 May 2001 15:50 GMT
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: BBC Online, Tue 22 May 2001 15:58 GMT [edited
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1345000/1345431.stm>

Hepatitis C and dengue fever virus hybrid: college fined
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One of London's top research units has admitted that it broke health and
safety legislation while combining 2 dangerous viruses. Imperial College
had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at London's Marylebone Magistrates
Court to 2 charges relating to laboratory work involving a combination of
the hepatitis C and dengue fever viruses. The College had already been
fined £20 000 in March for another health and safety offence relating to
the storage of HIV. They have now been committed to the Crown Court for
sentencing.
District Judge Elizabeth Roscoe said that the breaches were "potentially
extremely dangerous and a matter of high public concern." The college, in
Kensington, west London, admitted "failing to apply principles of good
microbiological practice and principles of good occupational safety and
hygiene" under regulations governing genetically modified organisms. The
researchers were trying to create an artificial hybrid of the two viruses.
The college had also pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to ensure the
safety of employees. The Health and Safety Executive prosecution followed
an inspection at the college's St Mary's Hospital campus in December 1998.
In a statement the college said: "Imperial College regrets these breaches
of the health and safety legislation but stresses that no member of the
public was at risk at any time. Hepatitis C virus infects around 200
million carriers worldwide. This research project was intended to produce a
new type of hybrid hepatitis C virus, which would allow researchers to
speed up their search for a vaccine and to replace the use of animals in
much of this work. The college has stringent policies and procedures in
place to regulate activities of this nature. It takes all its health and
safety responsibilities very seriously and has taken steps to ensure that
such an incident cannot happen again. Extra staff devoted to monitoring and
advising on safety in the college are now in post."
--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Breaches of microbiological safety of this type deserve to be publicized
widely. The apparent intention of this research was to facilitate
development of a hepatitis C vaccine by construction of a hepatitis C
virus/dengue fever virus recombinant. This approach seems hazardous in the
extreme, particularly as no protective vaccine to either of the components
of the hybrid virus is currently available. One wonders how this research
came to be funded. If there is some rationale justifying this approach,
perhaps someone should explain. - Mod.CP
....................cp/sh
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