An illegal medical lab in California, housing nearly 1,000 genetically modified mice, has caused concern among officials, Fox59 reported.
The investigation led the authorities to a warehouse containing bioengineered mice and infectious agents. The authorities found nearly 30 refrigerators and freezers, along with incubators and other medical supplies.
Illegal medical lab discovered in California with bioengineered mice and infectious agents including HIV and herpes
“This is an unusual situation. I’ve been in government for 25 years. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba said, reported local news outlet KRON4.
The investigation was set in motion by a garden hose found suspiciously attached to a wall at the back of the building.
A letter from the Health and Human Services, dated June 6, revealed that the CDC conducted tests on the substances found in the warehouse.
The tests detected at least 20 potentially infectious agents, which included dangerous pathogens such as coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis, and herpes. This finding has raised serious concerns about the potential risks and public health implications associated with the illegal lab’s activities, NBC News reported.
According to SFist, the makeshift lab had around 30 refrigerators and freezers, with some not working properly. Inside, they also found incubators, medical testing equipment, and hundreds of mice. When they tested some samples taken from the lab, they discovered infectious agents like herpes, coronavirus, E. Coli, and malaria.
Lab raises worries about genetic modification and euthanization of mice
As reported by The San Joaquin Valley Sun, Wang Zhaolin, a representative from Prestige Biotech, the company running the lab, informed investigators that the mice found in the warehouse had been specially modified through genetic engineering. They designed their genetic alterations to make the mice susceptible to catching and transmitting the COVID-19 virus, the authorities said.
NBC News reported that officials took the difficult step of euthanizing nearly 800 of the mice found inside the warehouse. In addition, officials discovered approximately 175 mice that had already deceased when they made the discovery.
“Certain rooms of the warehouse were found to contain several vessels of liquid and various apparatus,” NBC reported court documents related to the incident. “Fresno County Public Health staff also observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material.”
