Nearly a thousand bioengineered mice are kept in a secret facility in California.
Concerned officials have expressed their dismay at discovering infectious illnesses, including HIV and Hepatitis, in tissue samples that had been improperly maintained in the laboratory.
In March, an inspector checked the warehouse because a garden hose was attached to the facility’s rear wall. Reportedly, during the search, officials found what seemed to be homemade medical instruments, including COVID-19 and pregnancy tests.
According to court records, the warehouse housed several containers of liquid and other machinery in separate areas. Fresno County Public Health employees found blood, serums, bodily fluid samples, tissue, and vials containing unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material.
Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba said she’s been a public servant for a quarter century now, and she’s never seen anything like it.
About 30 broken or non-functioning refrigerators and freezers littered the laboratory. In addition, there were numerous mice, incubators, and medical testing equipment.
Herpes, coronavirus, E. coli, and malaria were among the infectious organisms tested in the lab’s illness samples.
Prestige Biotech representative Wang Zhaolin allegedly told authorities that the rodents in the warehouse had been genetically altered to be able to contract and transmit the COVID-19 virus.
NBC reports that almost 800 mice were killed after being found in the facility. About 175 more dead mice were discovered.
Assistant Director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health Joe Prado reportedly told KRON4 that more than 800 substances were present. There were several different kinds of acids contained in these bottles. Inconveniently, many of these are classified as unidentified compounds.
On July 7, NBC reported that the facility had been cleared of all biohazardous materials; however, the inquiry into the lab’s history and operations was still underway.
