Polio Strain May Have Leaked from Wuhan Institute

A recent study suggests that a highly evolved strain of polio, which infected a four-year-old boy in China's Anhui province in 2014, may have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The polio strain, named WIV14, is reported to be 99% genetically identical to a variant stored at the lab, raising serious concerns about safety protocols at the facility already scrutinized for its potential role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from the Pasteur Institute believe the strain likely evolved from a 1950s variant used in vaccine production, yet they cannot definitively trace its origins. Molecular biologist Dr. Richard Ebright emphasized the findings highlight the unsafe practices in global virology research. If linked to WIV, this would add to a series of safety breaches associated with the lab, prompting the Biden administration to cut its funding last year. Although polio has largely been eradicated, recent cases have emerged in conflict zones and in the U.S., suggesting ongoing risks.