Illegal Bio Lab Shut down In Cali
Officials in a sleepy California town were shocked to discover an illegal bio lab operating out of a nondescript warehouse.
Federal and local authorities uncovered a lab of horrors when they raided the space in Reedley, home to just over 25,000, last month. Investigators obtained photos, now in the possession of DailyMail.com, that show dead mice stuffed in makeshift storage containers and freezers filled to the brim with unknown blood samples.
What's more disconcerting, however, is that the lab reportedly contained multiple infectious agents, including Covid-19, tuberculosis, HIV, herpes, and malaria, all of which could be dangerous if exposed to the public. The origin of the lab is still unknown, as is the identity of those in charge.
The terrifying operations were first brought to light when a code enforcement officer noticed a garden hose sticking out of a building and contacted local officials. This set in motion a series of events that ended in March when investigators were granted a warrant to search the premises.
To their alarm, the small room contained nearly 1,000 white mice packed in grossly overstuffed storage containers without proper air or bedding. Hundreds of them were already dead.
Locals are in shock over the findings and are anxiously waiting to hear official news on the investigation. Reedley City Manager, Nicole Zieba, has never seen anything like this in her 25 years of working in government.
As of this moment, investigators say they have removed over 5,000 gallons of biological waste from the lab, deeming it safe. It is not known what will happen to the facility, or if it will be permanently shut down.
The lab was reportedly operated by an organization called Prestige BioTech. It is believed that David He was a representative of the company, however, he denied that any dangerous agents were being stored on-site. He also provided no evidence proving his affiliation with Prestige BioTech.
Investigators were joined in May by staff from the CDC for an in-person inspection. Here they found not only a wide array of vials containing hazardous biomaterials but dozens of freezers with unreliable power sources and malfunctioning lights.
Ms. Zieba has said that the public is no longer in danger, however, the investigation into the lab is ongoing. It is unknown who is running the lab and how the dangerous pathogens were acquired. She only advises that the public keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
At this point, the only thing that is certain is that this illegal biolab was a surprise to everyone in this small town and authorities are doing whatever they can to ensure it never happens again.