7 Staffers Taken To Hospital After Plum Island Incident: Department Of Homeland Security

PLUM ISLAND, NY — Seven workers were brought to the hospital after an incident at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center Tuesday, officials said.

According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson in an emailed statement to Patch: "There was an incident at PIADC this morning. During a routine operation, several staff complained of eye irritation. Out of an abundance of caution, seven staff members were transported for medical evaluation."

According to the DHS website, since 1954, the PIADC "has served as the nation’s premier defense against accidental or intentional introduction of transboundary animal diseases — highly transmissible diseases of livestock and other animals, including foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever — that can significantly affect food security, trade, and the economy. These diseases are not transmissible between animals and humans."

In addition, PIADC, which is operated by the DHS S&T Office of National Laboratories, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the only laboratory in the nation that can work on live FMD virus and ASF virus. "The lab and its staff of nearly 400 employees collaborate on a host of high-impact, indispensable preparedness and response capabilities, including vaccine and therapeutic research and development, diagnostics, detection and decontamination technologies, training, and bioforensics among others," the site said.