The US government is considering several locations for building a new high-security laboratory.
The new National Bio and Agro Defense Facility will replace the research facility in Plum Island, located roughly100 miles away from New York City. The new facility will continue the research on foot and mouth disease, Hendra and Nipah viruses, African swine fever, Rift Valley fever and also Japanese encephalitis .
“The proposed NBAF would enable us to meet the challenges posed by the intentional or unintentional introduction of a foreign animal or zoonotic disease that could threaten the U.S. livestock industry, food supply and public health,†said Homeland Security Under Secretary for Science and Technology Jay Cohen.