Veterinary labs are safe, Feds say
Washington - Of the nation's 114 licensed veterinary laboratories, only two house anthrax cultures and both microbes are harmless, federal officials report. In the wake of the Florida anthrax-induced death, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mandated that all laboratories provide an inventory of their anthrax cultures. USDA officials add the sources of anthrax that have infected people in Florida, New York and Washington could not have been from the labs.
Washington - Of the nation's 114 licensed veterinary laboratories,only two house anthrax cultures and both microbes are harmless, federalofficials report.
In the wake of the Florida anthrax-induced death, the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) mandated that all laboratories provide an inventoryof their anthrax cultures. USDA officials add the sources of anthrax thathave infected people in Florida, New York and Washington could not havebeen from the labs.
One of the two veterinary laboratories studying the culture is ColoradoSerum of Denver, which is producing the animal anthrax vaccine. The otherunnamed laboratory has cultures on hand but is not making the vaccine atthis time.
The cultures in the two veterinary laboratories are of a strain thatwill not afflict disease on animals nor humans. The strain is used to producethe vaccine.
