Close the Reporting Gap: Track Transmissible Diseases in Primate Labs
NARN Petitions Washington Health Officials to Protect Public Health, Require Reporting of Diseases in Primate Labs – Take Action to Support!
The Washington State Department of Health doesn’t track notifiable diseases among monkeys in laboratories, even though the diseases are transmissible to humans. NARN, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have joined forces to change this dangerous reporting gap.
Frequent outbreaks of zoonotic diseases among monkeys caged at the University of Washington’s National Primate Research Center pose a direct threat to public health, and these diseases are yet another reason why the primate center needs to shut down.
Outbreaks of Shigella, Campylobacter, and Salmonella, all highly contagious pathogens capable of infecting humans, have been documented at the primate center. These pathogens can cause severe bacterial infections, accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and/or stomach pain in humans.
Yet the Washington State Board of Health does not require reporting when monkeys are infected; reporting is only required when the diseases are detected in humans. The result is a double standard: the same pathogens are tracked once they reach people, but not while they are circulating inside a large primate facility physically connected to a major medical center.
We aim to close that gap.
NARN, PETA, and PCRM submitted a petition urging the Washington State Board of Health to update its administrative code to start requiring mandatory reporting of contagious diseases detected in monkeys in laboratories in the state.
The board now has 60 days to decide whether to move forward with protecting public health.
The University of Washington Medical Center is physically connected to a primate center building in which primates are caged and subjected to experiments. The buildings share hallways and air systems. Staff move through the buildings. The public, including UW students, can enter both buildings and move between them.
PETA has identified evidence—published years ago—that the center’s staff have contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from monkeys, confirming that this pathogen is present in the colony and that transmission to humans has already occurred. The condition can cause skin infections and other severe problems. Plus, a university representative previously admitted that “virtually everyone” gets ill within their first six months working at the center because of exposure to infectious diseases and the amount of fecal matter in the air.
Please add your name today to urge the Washington State Board of Health to act on the petition immediately to protect public health and track diseases in primate labs.
