COVANCE'S HISTORY OF DEADLY OUTBREAKS

Covance, formerly known as Hazleton Laboratories, was at the center of a major scandal involving a strain of the Ebola virus. In November 1989 at the Hazleton Primate Facility in Reston, Virginia, lab monkeys were found to have carried Ebola virus from the Philippines. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intervened with a tactical medical military team, outfitted in biohazard suits, to enter the lab, exterminate the infected animals, and seal the facility.

In February 1990, less than 3 months later, a number of infected monkeys were shipped to Hazleton facilities in both Virginia and Texas. This strain was also found to be airborne. More Reston-Ebola virus infected monkeys were discovered in 1992 in Sienna, Italy and at the Texas Hazleton facility again in March 1996!

A number of Hazleton employees tested positive for Ebola and were ultimately quarantined, without any resulting fatalities. This particular strain of Ebola had not been seen before. Consequently, there were no methods for testing or guidelines for quarantine. Had this strain been fatal to humans, the consequences could have been devastating. It is unknown how long the infected employees were in the public while they were carrying Ebola, or how many people could have been potentially exposed. This incident was the basis for the book "The Hot Zone".

In late 2006, Covance experienced an outbreak of tuberculosis in their Madison facility. Citizens Against Covance broke this story to the media on November 29 and the controversy was covered by everything from local TV stations and NPR (National Public Radio) to newspapers in Phoenix, Tucson, and even Madison itself.  For full coverage, click here.

A significant portion of Covance's primate population is made up of macaque monkeys.  More than 80% of macaques carry the Herpes-B virus, relatively harmless to monkeys but so dangerous to humans that
it can liquefy the brainstem, turn the spinal cord to mush, and cause almost certain death for humans if not treated immediately.  One notable example of this happening was Elizabeth Griffin, a worker at the Yerkes Primate Center in Atlanta, a biomedical research center.  In December 1997, she died after being splashed in the eye with bodily fluids from a macaque monkey, who passed on the Herpes-B virus to her. 

Other parasites and harmful pathogens that were able to get past Covance's quarantine procedures without being detected include Cryptosporidia (a frequent cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks among humans) and Bartonella quintana (causes Trench Fever).

Is Chandler ready for such a risky breed of animals to be housed inside city limits?  The health risk has become so great that a growing number of airlines are now refusing to transport primates destined for experimentation.  Some examples include United Airlines, Air Canada, TWA, Virgin Atlantic, and British Airways.

To view the USDA reports please CLICK HERE.
To view Covance's corporate history CLICK HERE.