As I've said and written for years, of all the possible civilization-ending scenarios around weapons of mass destruction (WMD), there's one that worries me the most. The WMD triad consists of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, and it's biological weapons that scare the absolute kapok out of me, speaking as a guy educated in biology. And we've seen some disturbing incidents in the last few years, from illegal Chinese biolabs in the United States to people trying to smuggle biological materials into the country.

But sometimes a little information can go a long way. Take the case of a Canadian student stopped at the United States border with undeclared biological material.

Now, before anyone panics, let's look a little harder at what these things are.

Histopathology slides are microscope slides prepared through a specific process to allow the examination of certain features found in biological materials. Here's a thumbnail of their preparation:

Preparation of histo slides follows a systematic approach. Specimens are first collected and fixed to preserve cellular structure. After fixation, tissues undergo dehydration through a series of alcohol washes. Subsequently, they are embedded in paraffin wax to create thin sections. Cutting these sections involves microtomes, which provide uniform slices for examination.

During my undergraduate education in biology, I did this myself. Our youngest daughter, who works in a pathology lab, does this literally every workday. The fixing and drying process, along with any staining that is done to enhance visibility, renders any viable biological material inert. These slides are used for a variety of purposes, ranging from diagnostics to training.

Again, they are inert. There is no viable biological material contained in these slides.

What's more, cast your eyes over the slides pictured in the X post. These appear to be antiques. Some of the writing is in German, the slide wrappers are yellowed with age, and the slides themselves are slightly discolored. There's nothing biological to fear from these samples.

Now, with that said, the law doesn't appear to discriminate between viable and non-viable biological material when one is entering the United States, nor should it. This student, who remains unidentified, should have known this and, for reasons we do not know, still attempted to bring in these slides without declaring them. For that, now, this student appears to be in a bit of hot water. 

Dumb? Yes. An attempt at smuggling in a potentially dangerous biohazard? No. 

See Also: They Haven't Stopped: Chinese Students Attempted to Smuggle Agricultural Bioweapon Into US

Chinese National Nabbed by DOJ for Allegedly Smuggling in Biological Material—and She's From Wuhan

So, no, in this instance, there's no real reason to be concerned. These are inert samples used mostly for educational purposes. There is no viable biological material contained in them. They are still regulated, and the "student" either stupidly or accidentally did not declare them. That's enough to get them confiscated. But this wasn't an attempt at biological warfare. 

Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.

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