Research lab blamed for foot-and-mouth outbreak

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:59:59 -0400

An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK has been contained after a government report pinned the blame for the outbreak on leaky pipes at the Institute for Animal Health's Pirbright site. Officials had known for years that the drains under the lab were faulty, but they had never been fixed due to a dispute with the nearby Merial Animal Health lab over who was responsible for paying for the repairs. The virus probably leaked through the pipes and into the soil, and was then carried to the surface after the area was hit by heavy rains. Building contractors then unwittingly spread the virus to nearby farms, concludes the report. Merial has refused to accept any responsibility for the biosecurity breach and the issue is probably headed to court. Nevertheless, the scandal has focused a spotlight on security measures in the country's labs.

- see the final report on the findings

ALSO: The CDC won't lift an order for Texas A&M to suspend work at its biodefense lab until the university corrects several shortcomings. In the meantime, an activist group has unveiled new evidence of a researcher being accidentally infected and that a biodefense research building was flooded last February. Report

Related Article:
Foot-and-mouth outbreak linked to research lab. Report

Foot-and-mouth outbreak linked to research lab

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:59:59 -0400

A private laboratory in England is the prime suspect in the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. UK officials believe that a breakdown in procedures at Merial Animal Health--which is jointly led by Merck and Sanofi-Aventis--led to the infection of nearby animals. The strain of foot-and-mouth disease that was discovered is the same strain that is studied in the laboratory, which researches and manufactures new vaccines. The lab, meanwhile, insists that it has operated for years without any biosecurity breach. Government investigators are promising complete answers in 48 hours to help stem the crisis atmosphere in the country. On the one hand, a nearby lab breach would calm fears that the disease was being spread through herds in the country. The last outbreak cost the UK £7 billion. But a release of the disease from a lab would also likely heighten biosecurity efforts in the country.

- check out the article for more

Foot And Mouth Disease

Research lab blamed for foot-and-mouth outbreak

Foot-and-mouth outbreak linked to research lab