UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

[AlaskaDenise]

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/artic...30/wi/4wis.txt

By The Associated Press
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MADISON ? The University of Wisconsin-Madison hopes to land a new high-security federal lab where scientists would help lead the nation?s research on deadly animal diseases.

The lab would be operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Scientists at the new lab will study foreign animal diseases that could harm agriculture if spread in the U.S. They?ll also study bird flu, anthrax, SARS and other pathogens that can spread from animals to people and have become bioterrorism concerns.

The university proposes constructing the lab at the Kegonsa Research Campus in the town of Dunn. Fourteen other applicants are vying for the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

The federal government plans to open the lab in 2013. It would replace the federal Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York, which was built in the 1950s.

Space in the lab would be designated as the highest level of security, reserved for the most dangerous germs.

The scientists will try to develop drugs and vaccines against animal diseases, possibly leading to the creation of spinoff companies, said Daryl Buss, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, who is leading UW-Madison?s bid.

?This is really a major piece of animal ag infrastructure,? Buss said. ?It?s certainly important to Wisconsin, given our heavy dependence on agriculture.?

Homeland security officials are expected to narrow the list of potential sites early next year.

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[AlaskaDenise]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

Proposed Federal Bio Lab Concerns Some Residents

UW Is 1 Of 14 Proposed Sites For Animal Disease Lab

POSTED: 10:20 pm CST November 30, 2006


<!--startindex-->MADISON, Wis. -- Animal diseases such as bird flu, hoof and mouth, and mad cow could find a home near Lake Kegonsa under a plan by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


The federal government selected the location as one of 14 sites for a possible National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.


Residents of the Town of Dunn, where the lab could possibly be built, attended a meeting sponsored by UW-Madison officials Thursday.


The town chairman is already expressing concern about things like runoff into the lake, traffic congestion and possible biohazards.


But UW-Madison officials said such a center would be safe, create up to 400 scientist jobs and pump billions of dollars into the state economy.


"We think this really would be a huge asset, not just for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but really for the whole state of Wisconsin," said Daryl Buss, dean of the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.


If all goes as some UW-Madison leaders hope, 40 acres of farm fields in a university research park near Stoughton will become the U.S. government's new home to the world's newest, most deadly contagious animal diseases, some of which are transmissible to humans.


Near the UW Synchrotron Radiation Center research building, a nearly $5 million high-tech building would go up, replacing an aging infectious animal disease center, which is now isolated off New York on Plum Island.


The USDA helps run the lab, but it is officially part of the Department of Homeland Security.


But what's now guarded by ocean and the Coast Guard could be headed for the idyllic tiny Town of Dunn.


"It makes me very nervous," said Ed Minihan, chairman of the board in the Town of Dunn. "[People are] concerned about the -- just the sheer size of the building, and we are concerned about what could possibly happen."

Minihan said concerns include having some of the bacteria or organisms being studied being released or targeted by terrorists.


"I'm not worried about al-Qaida or anybody -- but I am worried about ecoterrorists who have done things in the state, and I'm worried about some of the animal rights folks," Minihan said.


"The concern about the release is appropriate and understandable," Buss said.


But Buss said Homeland Security will make sure the laboratory is physically secure and that procedures inside will routinely prevent anything dangerous from getting out.


"Basically nothing leaves those laboratories unless it's been completely sterilized," Buss said.


The facility will be used to diagnose, treat and prevent infectious animal disease, and part of it will contain the highest level of what's called "biosafety" -- level four.


Only some facilities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have that now. The current animal disease center does not.

Residents Voice Concerns At Meeting


Many residents packed the Town of Dunn Town Hall Thursday night to hear more about the facility that could affect them in the next few years.


Residents voiced many concerns, ranging from how the Department of Homeland Security would participate in the facility to what types of animals might be used for research there.


Those who live nearby the proposed site, like George Corrigan, said they are more worried about the immediate safety of having a program doing high biosafety-level research that could be dangerous.


"I would invite the UW to say, 'We understand. We need local support, and if there's not local support, we'll drop the proposal.' That would show they actually do care about local support rather than force it on a town that doesn't want it," Corrigan said.


UW-Madison officials explained on Thursday that the site should be secure because of extensive training of researchers and protection by Homeland Security.


"Having this as a resource within the state of Wisconsin and being able to use it as a venue to enhance the skills and knowledge of producers as well as veterinarians, at every level really would be a huge asset to animal agriculture," Buss said.


Officials reminded residents that the building would be a federal project on UW property and not simply UW research.


The proposed project is in very early stages, WISC-TV reported.


UW-Madison would still have to make it on a short list of sites early next year. After that, there would be extensive environmental impact research done to look at the possibility of locating the building in the rural community.

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[curious]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

I can certainly understand the wariness by the people of Dunn of having this kind of facility in their backyard. I read a popular book on the history of te Plum Island research facility this summer and found many of the oversights that could have resulted in relese of deadly pathogens into the surrounding area absolutley appalling. Although I don't necessarily agree with the author that it was negligence by Plum Island that resulted in the release of Lyme, Hoof and Mouth disease and West Nile virus into the United States, it was clear that there was neglect by the United States government of the basic facilities could have led to the release of deadly pathogens. Not only are some of the viruses present in the Plum Island Freezers some of the most deadly pathogens known to man, there also would be legitimate concers about contamination of ground water by livestock or poultry, or the possibility of wild birds disseminating some of these viruses to the local area during vaccine trials if the vaccinated animals were kept in open pasture.

See the blurb below from Associated Press in 2004.

The question is how do we balance the risks of hosting a research station such as this with the need for the development of a HP bird flu vaccine?

Discussion?

Curious

"New book says Plum Island may be responsible for disease outbreaks, terrorist target"


By FRANK ELTMAN
Associated Press Writer

February 17, 2004, 3:25 PM EST

PLUM ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Plum Island Animal Disease Center off eastern Long Island may have been responsible for outbreaks of Lyme disease and West Nile Virus and could be vulnerable to terrorist attacks, a new book claims.

Although attorney and first-time author Michael Carroll concedes he has no direct evidence, he insists he's right, citing seven years researching "Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory," published Tuesday by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins.

"Every investigation is about connecting the dots," the author said of his claims. "We know that documents show, that hundreds of hours of interviews show, in this book, Plum Island is run and protects workers ... worse than a junior high school biology laboratory."

Not so, say administrators of the nation's only government laboratory that studies the most dangerous animal diseases. Some medical experts agree.

"I personally just don't think that has any merit," said David Weld, the executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation, in Somers, N.Y.

Maureen McCarthy, a top official at the Department of Homeland Security, which recently took over the lab, said: "I guess my first impression is that you can't judge a book by its cover."

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Timothy Bishop, whose district includes Plum Island, did not specifically address the claims in the book, but they said Tuesday that more needs to be done to improve conditions at the lab.

"I'm very pleased that we have new management there, and we're desperately in need of it," Clinton said during an appearance in Yonkers. "Anything that raises questions about safety I'm concerned about."

Carroll, who met with reporters gathering at a ferry dock in Orient Point for a tour of Plum Island on Monday, insisted: "It's too coincidental. I'm not a scientist, but all of these occurrences deserve true scientific investigation."

The author chronicles the history of the lab, which the Department of Agriculture opened in 1954, taking possession from the U.S. Army. The Army operated the island as Fort Terry for decades.

The newly created Department of Homeland Security took control last June, although agriculture department scientists still conduct research.

Carroll claims that while security and safety were top priorities in the early days, eventually there were mishaps that called into question whether the site was a hazard. In particular, he notes a 1978 incident in which animals kept in a holding pen outside Lab 257, one of several Plum Island buildings, were diagnosed with foot-and-mouth disease.

An agriculture department spokeswoman conceded that the cause of the incident, which was reported in the media at the time, was never determined. Lab 257 was closed in 1995, and "right now it poses no health hazard," McCarthy said.

Also, since 1978 no animals have been kept outside the biocontainment laboratories, Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Sandy Miller-Hays said. She also disputed Carroll's claims about Lyme disease, saying it was never studied at the facility, and contended that West Nile Virus was studied only after the outbreak was reported in 1999.

Carroll also cites a power outage during Hurricane Bob in 1991 that left some workers knee-deep in virus-contaminated sewage. He insists that these and other incidents led to a lax atmosphere, which made it possible for the lab to be the source of outbreaks like Lyme disease and West Nile Virus.

But Dr. David Graham, of the Suffolk County health department, countered: "I don't believe the laboratory had anything to do with it."

Carroll also ominously points to a revelation first reported by Newsweek in 2001 that Pakistani nuclear scientist Sultan Bashir Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood had a New York Times article about Plum Island in his possession when he was arrested in December 2001. Mahmood held meetings with Osama bin Laden in 2000 and 2001, according to his son.

"It becomes not what Mike Carroll thinks in his book about Plum Island, it becomes what do the terrorists think," the author said.

McCarthy, the homeland security official, noted that many security changes have taken place since her agency moved in last summer. There are increased security patrols by armed guards, electronic surveillance cameras have been installed, background checks are being done on all employees and escorts accompany all visitors.

"You're talking to somebody who came out of the nuclear weapons business," said McCarthy, the former chief scientist for the National Nuclear Security Administration. "I take this really seriously."



Copyright ? 2004, The Associated Press

[sharon sanders]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

"But UW-Madison officials said such a center would be safe, create up to 400 scientist jobs and pump billions of dollars into the state economy."

This usually wins the approval. Central Florida was deeply impacted by the purchase of land by the Disney Company. The company received many special compensations from the Florida legislature. Was this a good thing? Many jobs were created and related industries were brought to the area.

Undoubtedly a lab that handles deadly pathogens will be concerned with security. The reality is that this kind of facility may be able to save many lives with the research conducted. It needs to go somewhere. The citizens of various communities will decide if the risk of potential contamination is worth the benefit to mankind and to their community.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

It needs to go somewhere[/u]. ......... the benefit to mankind and to their community.

Good point - what's the alternative? Continued ignorance about pathogens that WILL cause disease, as they won't be in a secure environment. Better to know your enemy.

.

[curious]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

Yes, I think many of the emerging epizoonotic diseases should be studied, but to concentrate all of the resources of Plum Island again into one small geographical area may be a mistake. I think that is why Homeland Security is wanting to move this facility into the heartland, as its proximity to the coast of Long Island makes it vulnerable to attack both by terroism and natural elements such as hurricanes. If there were to be further biocontainment breaches (there have been many) millions in New York and Long Island would be affected. I think perhaps to study and develop vaccines and treatments for some of the less dangerous animal diseases at this facility and to keep the more lethal segregated and regulated to places such as Fort Detrick. I find all the biocontainment breaches that occured at Plum Island to be chilling.

Curious

[sharon sanders]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

I am totally unfamiliar with the Plum Island situation but evidently it is a controversy.

"Michael Carroll concedes he has no direct evidence."

So......

[curious]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

He has no direct evidence as far as the release of Lyme disease or West Nile Virus, but I believe what happened during a power outage after a hurricane is public record. Basically after the hurricane, power went out all over the island except for the power plant which was inaccesible during the hurricane. Security workers inside the high security lab and animal facilities were trapped inside the facility without power. The back up generator was inoperative (due to budget cuts). The contents of the freezers thawed, the negative air pressure system designed to keep germs from escaping the lab failed. The sewer system where all the contaminated and contagious animal waste backed up leaving the men to wade around in it. If the lab had not been on an island, this would undobtedly have gotten into the ground water. This happened before homeland security took over. Since they took over, (due to more budget cuts) all the regular staff has been replaced with workers untrained and unskilled in biocontainment. I am hoping that more effective biocontainment measures and upgrade of the facilities has taken place, but we all know how well homeland security did after Katrina in handling the situation. I agree these diseases need to be studied, but do we really want to risk having all of these deadly pathogens in one place again?

Curious

[sharon sanders]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

Here is a link for training:

The National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP) was conceived as a partnership between the Division of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The NBBTP is administered by the Frontline Healthcare Workers Safety Foundation*, Ltd., a not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) education and research foundation.


http://www.nbbtp.org/

[curious]

Re: UW Madison tries to lure high-security animal disease lab

Thanks Florida One,

I feel better now. How many of the homeland security workers (security, plant facilities, maintenance) employed at this lab have actually been through this program? We can only hope that wherever they put this lab, that they will do a better job of educating their workforce and having back up systems in place.

NBBTP Mission & Vision

The mission and vision of the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program is to prepare biosafety and biocontainment professionals of the highest caliber to meet the needs of the biomedical, emerging disease and civilian biodefense research communities through the 21st century.

Fellows will train specifically to support Biosafety Level 3 and 4 research environments by acquiring knowledge and skills necessary to meet the scientific, regulatory, biocontainment, biosafety, engineering, communications, management, and public relations challenges associated with the conduct of research in these facilities.

Fellowship Support for the Successful NBBTP Candidate

Awards are for a period of one year, with the expectation of extension for a further year based on progress, mutual agreement with the program supervisor(s), and continued availability of funds. Stipends are established according to guidelines for Fellows Programs supported by the NIAID. Stipends for the Program are provided through the Frontline Healthcare Workers Safety Foundation. Stipends are awarded commensurate with the academic and professional experience of the successful candidate and are consistent with the NIH Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Program. Candidates who apply bringing other academic or employer support will be equally considered.