An illegal lab in California has been found containing bioengineered mice, infectious agents, medical waste, and other hazardous materials.
According to reports, the lab, allegedly run by Prestige BioTech, but not registered in California, was working with at least 20 dangerous viruses, bacteria, and parasites, including COVID-19, E. Coli, malaria, HIV, hepatitis, and herpes.
The lab allegedly contained some 30 refrigerators, as well as freezers, incubators, medical testing devices, disease samples, and mice.
As per the reports, Prestige previously had a lab in Fresno, but it burned down, and later they re-opened a lab in Reedley.
The Reedley city manager, Nicole Zieba, told local broadcaster KRON4 that she had never seen such a thing in her civil service experience. The lab was discovered in March by authorities.
“This is an unusual situation. I've been in government for 25 years. I've never seen anything like this”, she said.
The authorities allegedly removed the hazardous materials from the site, but the nature and purpose of the operation are yet to be ascertained. The origin of the lab remains unknown, and a criminal investigation is underway.