House investigates Chinese-funded infectious disease lab in California.
Investigation Launched into Chinese-Owned Lab in California
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, has announced a bipartisan investigation into an illegal, Chinese-owned laboratory in California. This lab has been known to work on various infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.
“We are committed to investigating the origin of COVID-19, as well as assessing the federal government’s ability to protect America from biological threats,” wrote Wenstrup in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This assessment is crucial in strengthening our preparedness and preventing future pandemics.”
Concerns Surrounding the Chinese-Owned Lab
Prestige Biotech, a Chinese-owned medical company, took over a research laboratory in Reedley, California, after the American-based company Universal Meditech filed for bankruptcy. Local, state, and federal law enforcement raided the Prestige warehouse in March, investigating the lab’s operation without a license for medical research.
Further analysis conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Select Agents and Toxins revealed that the lab stored ”at least 20 potentially infectious agents” under inadequate conditions, including viruses such as malaria, HIV, E. coli, Hepatitis A and B, Rubella, chlamydia, and SARS-CoV-2.
County investigators discovered nearly 1,000 bio-engineered mice in the lab, with a spokesperson for Prestige confirming that these mice were genetically altered to spread COVID-19.
Request for Information
Wenstrup has requested the FBI to provide the Subcommittee with all internal and inter-agency communications regarding Prestige and Universal Meditech. He has also sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, requesting all communications within his department, particularly between the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration.
The Subcommittee’s minority members expressed their concern over the unlicensed operations at the research facility in Fresno County, California. They emphasized the importance of enhancing the nation’s biosecurity and preventing future pandemics.
Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), ranking member of the Subcommittee, was unavailable for comment due to his involvement in assisting with Hurricane Hillary aftermath efforts in his district.
“As mounting intelligence and evidence supports that COVID-19 likely originated at a lab in Wuhan, China, conducting a thorough investigation into Prestige Biotech’s illegal bio-lab on U.S. soil is crucial to protecting America’s national security and preventing future outbreaks and pandemics,” stated the Republicans on the Subcommittee.
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