[HN Gopher] Illegal lab containing bioengineered mice infected w...
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Illegal lab containing bioengineered mice infected with HIV and
herpes in Cali
Author : FeaturelessBug
Score : 51 points
Date : 2023-07-30 17:29 UTC (5 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.insider.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.insider.com)
| AequitasOmnibus wrote:
| > Wang Zhaolin, a representative of the company operating the
| lab, Prestige Biotech, told investigators that the mice inside
| the warehouse had been genetically engineered to catch and spread
| the COVID-19 virus, according to The San Joaquin Valley Sun.
|
| This fact alone shocks the conscience. Criminal charges should
| fly swift and fierce against everyone involved in this illegal
| operation.
|
| What's horrifying is that this biolab was found on a fluke. How
| many more covert biolabs is China operating in secret in the
| U.S.?
| whimsicalism wrote:
| > How many more covert biolabs is China operating in secret in
| the U.S.?
|
| Is the company even Chinese?
| BugsJustFindMe wrote:
| > _Is the company even Chinese?_
|
| Seems like yes but with a shady trail of dark corners.
|
| > _Yao told officials that Prestige BioTech moved assets
| belonging to a defunct company, Universal Meditech Inc., to
| the Reedley warehouse from Fresno after UMI went under.
| Prestige Biotech was a creditor to UMI and identified as its
| successor, according to court documents._
|
| > _Officials were unable to get any California-based address
| for either company except for the previous Fresno location
| from which UMI had been evicted._
|
| > _" The other addresses provided for identified authorized
| agents were either empty offices or addresses in China that
| could not be verified," court documents said._
| tomjen3 wrote:
| I really, really hope it is just some corrupt or insane person,
| because if this is done with the blessing of the Chinese state
| to spread Covid in the US, thats bioterroism and a clear act of
| war.
|
| Even if it is only done to research Covid, it would put US
| lives at stake and should result in something drastic.
| topato wrote:
| Whenever I see a company using Prestige in their name, I can't
| help but think back to the hit Hollywood movie 'Stepbrothers',
| and the titular brothers' fictional company, Prestige Worldwide
| rolandog wrote:
| To quote Steve Gibson: "What could possibly go wrong?"
| whimsicalism wrote:
| Does anyone have reporting from a higher quality source?
| DANmode wrote:
| Previously on HN: CDC detects coronavirus, HIV, hepatitis and
| herpes at unlicensed California lab
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36921530
| https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/officials-believe-fresn...
| tinus_hn wrote:
| There the story is being put down because it kind of sounds
| like the lab leak theory so obviously it can't be true. The
| cognitive dissonance is strong.
| newaccount74 wrote:
| It's being put down because it does not sound like the lab
| leak theory. It just sounds like a sloppy lab.
|
| Where do you think all those cheap covid tests came from?
| I'd bet a lot of them came from grey area labs that
| probably didn't follow regulations too closely. Considering
| how imprecise they were...
| andrewstuart wrote:
| All the transmissibility of herpes with the damage of HIV.
|
| Of course, of course.
|
| Totally safe of course. Zero chance of lab escape. I do hear
| there are wet markets nearby though.....
| treeman79 wrote:
| Good thing the current president has received millions from
| China. That'll encourage him to get right on it! Certainly not
| ignore the issue completely.
| brucethemoose2 wrote:
| Again, what is the motive? Where is the money coming from?
|
| Secret COVID HIV rats is a Bond villian thing, not something
| actual criminals do to make a buck.
| sct202 wrote:
| Universal Meditech Inc one of the companies referenced made
| covid rapid tests, so the most charitable take on this is it
| was a sloppily run lab trying to make money on covid tests.
| There's a recall notice the FDA issued, so they did make
| something. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-
| withdrawals-safety...
| tyingq wrote:
| I'm sure there are more reasons, but modified herpes and HIV
| have both been used as experimental cancer treatments.
|
| Edit: It appears they made a variety of in-vitro tests during
| their peak operating period. For diseases, pregnancy, drugs,
| etc. So probably more about "criminally sloppy lab" than any
| more movie-worthy motive.
|
| An old wayback grab of their product page:
| https://web.archive.org/web/20190731163304/http://universal-...
| seatac76 wrote:
| This is the stuff of horror movies, so much can go wrong. How are
| they even able to acquire such material without some oversight?
| upsidesinclude wrote:
| This should be really bigger news.
|
| Seperate news reports include claims that the company was
| "developing COVID19 tests" among other things. This could very
| well have been funded through pandemic relief grants.
|
| The owners of the building claim no knowledge of the goings on
| there.
|
| Clearly they were engaged in some nefarious work with extremely
| minimal safety protocol.
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(page generated 2023-07-30 23:01 UTC)