OTTAWA – Scientists familiar with contagions are scratching their heads over the arrest of a former federal government researcher who was allegedly trying to smuggle bacteria into China.

Klaus Nielsen, a former lead researcher with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, faces charges in what police say was a scheme to illegally comercialize a testing device for Brucella bacteria.

The Mounties say Nielsen and a fellow researcher, Wei Ling Yu, have been charged with breach of trust by a public officer.

Nielsen was arrested in October while on his way to the Ottawa airport.

A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Yu, although she is believed to be in China.

University of Montreal professor Christian Baron says he and his colleagues are wondering why Nielsen would take the risk of transporting such a readily available bacteria on a plane.

Baron says the Chinese could easily have found their own bacteria in cattle that are widely infected with the disease in their own country.

He says tests for the pathogen are also openly available around the globe.