Mpox smuggling case prompts congressional scrutiny of National Institutes of Health
Summary
Two scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were charged with smuggling monkeypox virus samples into the United States without proper authorization and lying to customs officials. The US House committee is reviewing the case to understand how the NIH handled the situation.Key Facts
- Dr. Vincent Munster and Claude Kwe, NIH scientists, carried vials of monkeypox virus into the US from the Republic of Congo without declaring them to customs.
- They told customs officials the container held testing equipment, but it actually contained 113 sealed lab vials.
- The vials included samples of inactivated monkeypox virus, chickenpox virus, and human DNA.
- Importing biological samples requires strict approvals and paperwork, which the scientists allegedly did not have.
- Both scientists were charged with conspiracy to smuggle and making false statements, pleaded not guilty, and were released on bail.
- The NIH has biosafety level 4 labs that study dangerous viruses like monkeypox, Ebola, and Nipah.
- The House committee on energy and commerce has asked the NIH for information about the scientists’ work, sample transport, and NIH’s knowledge and response to the case.
- Monkeypox caused over 80,000 suspected cases and more than 1,300 deaths in Africa in 2024 alone.
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