sickness due to genetech ?

[suter at VAX.MPIZ-KOELN.mpg.d400.de]

This is a reposting of a previous message, which raised some very important
point concerning genetechnology. I would be very pleased if somebody got send
me a reaction !

Robin walters wrote (as part of the discussion on EtBr waste) on 
material-and-methods:

+ Rather like the cloning of an active oncogene into SV40 in an uncontrolled
+ environment. This happened at the Pasteur Institute, I believe, and several
+ workers and several members of the public "caught" cancer. I don't know if
+ any of them died.  With proper regulation, this would never have been
+ sanctioned.

could anybody out there elaborate on this ? i always thought the story 
that people at the pasteur institute got cancer due to a genetech experiment
was just an ugly rumour, with little basis in truth. 

if this is not the case, i think robin walters message is of great importance
and rather disturbing ! i never heard about a case in which humans actually
died or got sick as a DIRECT result of genetech, but perhaps some of you
may have more/other/substantiated info on this.

please answer, i will post relevant answers to the net.

cheers,

clemens
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Clemens Suter-Crazzolara, PhD
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Zuechtungsforschung
Abteilung Genetische Grundlagen der Zuechtungsforschung
Carl-von-Linne Weg 10
5000 Koeln 30
Tel. xx49-221-5062.221       Fax. xx49-221-5062.213      Priv. xx49-221-581.794
e-mail: suter at vax.mpiz-koeln.mpg.dbp.de
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