Sheldon Manufacturing Inc. of Cornelius, Oregon was prepared for the abnormally large demand for laboratory incubators due to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. 'When I heard of the H1N1 virus crisis in Mexico, I e-mailed my distributors there to let them know that we had units available for immediate delivery. One of my top dealers, Labtech, has placed an order for all of our on-hand laboratory incubators - over 23 units to be shipped directly to Mexico City at the center of the crisis.' says Rudy Navarro, Sheldon Manufacturing, Inc., Latin American Sales Manager.

The incubators, which control environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, are used for the culture of viruses, bacteria and tissue. This equipment is vital for researching the virus strains, sensitivity to anti-viral compounds and development of vaccines.

The urgent need for vaccine development is based on the upcoming Fall flu season. According to Christian E. Sandrock, MD, MPH, deputy health officer of Yolo County in Sacramento, CA, speaking at the American Thoracic Society International Conference (ATS 2009) in San Diego, CA, no vaccine has been developed yet, and the hope is to produce one before Fall this year, when the virus season occurs, 'and the second wave is very likely.'