Hey guys, you might want to keep track of this stuff

Last week, two vials of anthrax spores went missing from a New Jersey laboratory, where they had been stored since the 2001 anthrax mailings that killed four in a Hamilton, New Jersey, post office. But health officials don't see this as reason to panic — they admit to FOX News that the loss is most likely the result of a counting error. Oops.

Similarly, last September, a Newark lab lost track of three mice that were suffering from bubonic plague, the disease thought to be responsible for the Black Death. Plague epidemics usually start with rodent infestations, so losing a few infected mice isn't such a swell idea. But again, authorities say we shouldn't worry — it's likely that the mice were either eaten by other animals in the lab without anyone noticing, or that the "loss" is really a paperwork error.

I don't know about you, but I think that potential sources of bioterrorism should be monitored pretty carefully. If facilities don't have the resources to ensure that paperwork is kept up-to-date and that valuable (and dangerous) property is counted properly, then my guess is that no one is taking the time to guarantee that these things don't get stolen, either. ☼