University Times

Pitt and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials are investigating a Sept. 24 incident in a University laboratory.

John Fedele, Pitt associate director of news, said, “The University is investigating an incident involving a laboratory animal.” Fedele declined to confirm any details of the incident.

Stories in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said a macaque monkey used for a study on a tuberculosis vaccine bit Pitt employee Patricia Boyle, requiring hand surgery and an eight-day stay at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

Boyle could not be reached for comment.

According to Brie German, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a USDA regional inspector was sent to campus last week to “look into the situation at the lab, specifically to see if there was any non-compliance with animal welfare or employee safety regulations.”

German said the USDA will not issue any public statements on its findings, but will contact the University privately following its inquiry. In the event of infractions, responses by the USDA could range from a letter of warning, to asking for a remedial action plan, to levying fines, to closing the lab, depending on the seriousness of non-compliance and the safety history of the facility, she said.

The USDA inquiry is in its initial phase, she added. She declined to comment further.

—Peter Hart