In 2007, a large pharmaceutical company, Baxter International, announced the successful development of an H5N1 vaccine.

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A few months ago, Baxter sent live H3N2 influenza viruses to laboratories in 18 countries for routine experimental uses. Unknown to the recipients, the product also contained live H5N1 influenza viruses. The product, injected into laboratory animals, produced both diseases in the same hosts.

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With this one act, Baxter created thousands of new opportunities for H5N1 to pick up human transmissibility from H3N2.

If there is an H5N1 pandemic, Baxter stands to sell a great deal more of their H5N1 vaccine product.

Baxter may be under financial stress. Recently, their entire Heparin product line was recalled and sales halted due to deadly contaminants. Baxter had manufactured the products in China, using a fly-by-night outfit that vanished from the plant before FDA inspectors could get there.

H5N1 is a level 3 biohazard substance. One does not accidentally mix a level 3 biohazard substance with a routine commercial product. The act was either sabotage by a disgruntled employee, or an intentional criminal act intended to unleash a deadly pandemic for profit.

In the US, few news sources ever reported this story. (Bloomberg did, then went dark.) It's gotten much more play from Canadian and European news outlets. The World Health Organization is supposedly investigating. No US agency has announced a similar investigation, so far as I have been able to learn.

Baxter International is a US corporation headquartered near Chicago.

We all worry about the threat of bioterrorism. But Al-Queda has no capability for it. Big Pharma does - and they can turn a handsome profit if they turn it against us.

I would like President Obama to stomp Baxter hard. A violation like this is, to put it mildly, not in the public interest.