ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 6, 1990                   TAG: 9007060775
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A/2   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA                                LENGTH: Short

120 MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO FATAL VIRUS

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are worried that the possible exposure of 120 people to a fatal leukemia virus may damage the public's perception of science and hinder research efforts.

University authorities investigating the April incident said Thursday that the public health risk was low but the break in university regulations was serious.

About 20 veterinary students and staff and 100 visiting preschool children unknowingly handled 14 newborn lambs that had been inoculated with a slow-acting virus, HTLV-1. The human T-cell lymphotropic virus can cause a lethal form of leukemia in people but does not grow in sheep.

- Associated Press 


 by CNB