Page:Scc-reedley-report-11.15.pdf/15

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

U.S. government has determined “have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety.”^[1]

A non-free image has been removed from this page.

Figures 10-14 - Examples of pathogen-labeled containers from the Reedley Biolab. From left to right, going clockwise: dengue fever, HIV, SARS-CoV-2, syphilis, and malaria. Source: City of Reedley.

CDC’s refusal to test left local officials unable to assess the danger to the City of Reedley community or inform the community about what steps, if any, it should take to protect public safety. Local officials informed the CDC about their concerns. The CDC continued to refuse to test any samples.^[2] According to local officials, they also asked if the CDC could at least test a random sample of the pathogens. The CDC still refused. Despite their limited local budget, local officials then offered to pay the CDC for the entirety of the cost of testing these samples. The CDC still did not and left the site.^[3]

The CDC summarized its findings in a three-page report, in which it stated that the Biolab contained “[t]housands of vials [with] unclear labeling, coded labeling, or no identifications.”^[4] Lab workers appeared to have labeled some items

↑ Select Agents and Toxins, CDC (Sept. 10, 2020). Select Agents are a specially regulated group of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety.
↑ In addition to written and verbal statements from local officials, the Select Committee obtained an email from CDC officials who stated that they “don’t see an urgent need to test samples at the moment” because “most of the material [CDC was] able to identify were proteins, antibodies, or pathogens (e.g. E.coli, HAIV, SARS CoV-2, Hepatitis, Malaria, Mycoplasma, etc.) that would not be regulated under our authority (i.e. select agents) or considered a serious threat to public health” even though the samples included “‘unknowns,’ illegible, or [those] coded in a way that we could not interpret.” This email was in response to a Fresno County email offering to pay for the packaging and shipment of the samples to an appropriate testing facility.
↑ This conversation was summarized in the email described above.
↑ In Re: Property Locate at 850 “I” Street, Reedley, California 93654, No. 23CECG00912, (Cal. Super. Ct. Jun. 15, 2023) at Ex. D – CDC Letter.

-13-

[1] Select Agents and Toxins, CDC (Sept. 10, 2020). Select Agents are a specially regulated group of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety.

[2] In addition to written and verbal statements from local officials, the Select Committee obtained an email from CDC officials who stated that they “don’t see an urgent need to test samples at the moment” because “most of the material [CDC was] able to identify were proteins, antibodies, or pathogens (e.g. E.coli, HAIV, SARS CoV-2, Hepatitis, Malaria, Mycoplasma, etc.) that would not be regulated under our authority (i.e. select agents) or considered a serious threat to public health” even though the samples included “‘unknowns,’ illegible, or [those] coded in a way that we could not interpret.” This email was in response to a Fresno County email offering to pay for the packaging and shipment of the samples to an appropriate testing facility.

[3] This conversation was summarized in the email described above.

[4] In Re: Property Locate at 850 “I” Street, Reedley, California 93654, No. 23CECG00912, (Cal. Super. Ct. Jun. 15, 2023) at Ex. D – CDC Letter.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]