多年來，圍繞著紐約市長島一處840英畝(340公頃)的小塊土地，流言蜚語和陰謀論不絕於耳。這片土地距離紐約長島1.5英里(約合1.6公里)。一些人猜測，在普拉姆島動物疾病中心內，正在開發動物和人類雜交動物以及生物武器。普拉姆島動物疾病中心於上世紀50年代由美國農業部(USDA)開設，自2003年以來一直在美國國土安全部的控制之下。
我對納粹科學家、外星人技術和基因改造過的怪物都有疑問，」國土安全部科學技術理事會發言人約翰·韋里科說。
但是在安全圍欄和生物控制區的檢查站內(在2007年政府報告未編輯的部分中有描述)，政府研究人員正在努力避免更切實的威脅——外來動物疾病，如口蹄疫和非洲豬瘟，如果這些疾病一旦蔓延到全國農場，就有可能對美國的糧食供應造成嚴重破壞。
在美國。韋里科說，這種高度傳染性疾病的爆發可能會造成「數十億美元」的經濟損失，因為受感染的農場動物將不得不從畜群中宰殺並銷毀。在這種疾病被根除之前，肉類出口將會停止，消費者可能會面臨肉類和奶製品的短缺。生產動物飼料的農民也會受到傷害。據英國廣播公司(BBC)報導，2001年英國爆發的伊波拉疫情給該國造成的損失相當於100多億美元。
Brief History of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center
The development of biocontainment facilities for the study of animal diseases is historically associated with the need to provide diagnostic and research capabilities to deal with a potential outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States.
There have been nine outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States: in 1870 in New England and New York; in 1880 (in imported animals controlled before release of the animals); in 1884 in Maine; in 1902 in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont; in 1908 in Maryland, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania; in 1914 (the most extensive outbreak) in the District of Columbia and 22 states—Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin; in 1924 in California; in 1924 in Texas; and in 1929 in California.
During those years, diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease was based on experimental animal inoculations in affected areas in the field. No laboratory work with foot-and-mouth disease virus was permitted in the United States after the eradication of the last cases in 1929.
In December 1946, foot-and-mouth disease type A was diagnosed for the first time in Mexico in the state of Veracruz. On February 28, 1947, Public Law (PL) 80-8 (S. 568) authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to cooperate with the government of Mexico in the control and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease. A cooperative program started on March 27, 1947. Early in the campaign, it was necessary to use vaccination for the control of foot-and-mouth disease. Vaccine was first purchased from Europe because all vaccines from South America were of types O and C. Later, the vaccine was produced in Mexico. These foot-and-
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The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.
根據這本1956年9月出版的小冊子，這種長期存在的危險導致國會授權農業部在20世紀50年代建立一個實驗室來對抗動物疾病，其中一個主要條件是這個實驗室必須設在一個島上，以減少病原體或受感染動物逃離並傳播到農場的危險。美國陸軍特里堡1879年至1948年的所在地普拉姆島就符合這一標準。
致命動物疾病的超級監獄1971年《紐約時報》的一篇文章將該設施描述為「人類已知的最致命的動物疾病病菌的魔鬼島」，並描述了詳細的安全措施。這些措施包括24小時在島上的周邊巡邏(目的是警告那些可能被原始海灘吸引的划船者離開)，設置防風閘以防止細菌和病毒外逃的建築，以及在員工下班前用水槽對強制淋浴的廢水進行消毒。部分原因是由於該設施有遭受恐怖襲擊的風險，2003年，該設施被移交給了國土安全部，儘管農業研究人員仍在那裡工作，2007年美國政府問責局的這份報告稱，還增加了門傳感器和警報等額外措施。
據美國司法部說，2008年在阿富汗被捕的一名基地組織特工有一份手寫的清單，上面列有在美國的多個潛在目標，其中包括普拉姆島。
儘管採取了所有的安全措施，普拉姆島的設施並不是秘密運作的。「我們實際上根本不做任何機密工作，」韋里科說。「我們的科學家發表關於我們所做的一切的報告。」
普拉姆島擁有北美唯一的口蹄疫疫苗庫，該庫保存著各種已開發的疫苗，用於對抗60多種不同的口蹄疫毒株。一旦這種疾病開始在美國蔓延，這些疫苗就可以投入使用,甚至惠及加拿大或墨西哥。「它定期更新，」韋里科解釋說。此外，韋里科說，如果動物生病了，並出現可疑病變或其他可能的疾病跡象，就會將組織樣本送到普拉姆島進行分析。獸醫們來到普拉姆島接受訓練。
韋里科說，在普拉姆島的工作對戰勝牛瘟起到了重要作用。牛瘟是一種致命的牛瘟，是僅有的兩種已被徹底根除的疾病之一，天花是另一種。
預計2023年關閉? 儘管幾十年來，普拉姆島的設施及其400名員工一直是美國抵禦動物疾病的重要組成部分，但它計劃在2023年左右關閉。它將逐漸被國家生物和農業防禦設施所取代，這是一個耗資12.5億美元、位於堪薩斯州曼哈頓的在建項目。該設施將比普拉姆島更大，能夠同時進行更多的研究。它還將增加安全層，使其能夠作為一個4級實驗室發揮作用，這意味著它將能夠研究有可能傳染給人類的動物疾病。韋里科說，這將是第一個能夠進行此類研究的大型動物設施。安全措施的進步將使其沒有必要設在海外。
動物疾病中心關閉後普拉姆島將會發生什麼還不清楚。美國總務管理局已經根據2009年經濟刺激方案中的一項條款，為出售這座島嶼及其建築做了廣告。該條款要求將其拍賣，以支付堪薩斯設施和/或國土安全部新總部大樓的建設成本。
但當地環保人士不希望看到普拉姆島變成海濱住宅開發或高爾夫度假村。由紐約、康乃狄克和羅德島的環保組織組成的保護普拉姆島聯盟的外聯協調員克里斯•克瑞德表示，由於多年來該島一直禁止開發，很多地方已恢復到自然狀態，成為鳥類和動物的避難所。該聯盟主張將該島80%的土地劃為保護區。
例如，在冬天，梅島是600個港口和灰色海豹的避難所，這些海豹從加拿大遷徙到梅島覓食，克瑞德說。它也為鳥類提供棲息地，如管鴴和玫瑰燕鷗。克瑞德解釋說，在過去的60年里，「由於那裡的高安全操作，自然干擾相對較少。」
環保組織在2016年提起訴訟，試圖阻止政府進行出售，理由是它沒有遵守各種聯邦環境法的要求。在GSA試圖駁回訴訟未果後，該機構在8月宣布，將推遲出售，以便準備一份新的環境影響報告，以加強2013年的審查。在一次採訪中，康乃狄克州環境基金會的高級法律顧問羅傑·雷諾茲稱，最初的研究「明顯不足」。
普拉姆島是美國紐約州薩福克縣的一座海島。位於長島最東端的加德納斯灣中。島長3英里（4.8公里），最寬處1-英里（1.6-公里）。
美國農業部自1954年在島上設有普拉姆島動物疾病中心(PIADC)。
美國聯邦政府完全擁有普拉姆島的土地所有權。]訪客登島需事先獲得美國國土安全部書面許可。
Plum Island is an island in the Town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York, in the United States. The island is situated in Gardiners Bay, east of Orient Point, off the eastern end of the North Fork coast of Long Island. It is about 3 miles (4.8 km) long and 1-mile (1.6 km) wide at its widest point.[]
The island is the site of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC), which was established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1954. The Island is also the site of the former U.S. military installation Fort Terry (c. 1897), and the historic Plum Island Light (c. 1869), and its automated replacement.[]
Plum Island is owned in its entirety by the United States government, which was considering sale of the island as part of a debt-reduction package,[] but suspended the plan in February 2012.[
Access to the island is controlled by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Plum Island Animal Disease Center.Orient, New York
A tiny islet just off Long Island offers a wealth of infectious curiosities
For many, the mere mention of ‘Swine Flu,’ ‘Avian Influenza’ or ‘Mad Cow Disease’ can set off twinges of paranoia and an irrational fear of lunch. But for the researchers at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) off the coast of Long Island, New York, these terms set off a different sort of excitement.
For over 50 years, this tiny island has housed a government-run research operation concerning animal-borne diseases. First a military base tasked with researching bio-weapons, that program was shut down by President Nixon in 1969. PIADC is now a joint effort between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security, with the only stated objective being to research existing animal diseases.
While technically not researching bio-weapons, the center’s primary function is to examine extremely dangerous diseases and study their potential impact on the population and agriculture of the United States. This includes their potential use as weapons by agro-terrorists - thus the inclusion of Homeland Security. Diseases studied by the PIADC include foot-and-mouth disease and swine fever, with a particular focus on likely or easily weaponized strains.
Legend surrounds the island due to its history as a secretive military base and its original objective of creating and studying new biological weapons. Locals still contend that research is done on animal breeding, particularly hybrid animal creation.
The latter concern is evidenced by the relatively famous “Montauk Monster” incident, during which the carcass of an apparently vicious and unrecognizable creature washed ashore on the mainland. Locals immediately suggested its origin was Plum Island, contending convincingly that it was an escaped lab experiment, captivating the local media. Experts eventually concluded that the mystery creature was simply a raccoon, and its odd appearance the result of waterborne decomposition. The legend, however, remains.
Many buildings on Plum Island are dilapidated and no longer in use, mainly due to the changing purpose and function of the facilities it housed as decades have worn on. However this “abandoned” gestalt has only fed local intrigue about shadowy operations and diseases run amok, including legitimate concerns about potential risks posed by the island’s history and activities.
Many such claims were made by Michael C. Carroll, PhD, who suggested in his book Lab 257 that the facility was responsible for several disease outbreaks in the past half-century, including recent West Nile Virus scares.
Know Before You Go.Just off the shore of Long Island, in Plum Bay.
If you havent heard of Plum Island, youre likely not the only one.
The idyllic slice of land sits just off the eastern tip of Long Island. It houses a federal lab that researches the worlds deadliest animal diseases. Over the years, it has fueled conspiracy theories and even inspired a novel.
Now, the federal government wants to sell it.
Erik Ofgang, senior writer for Connecticut Magazine, wrote about the island earlier this year. He spoke with WNYCs Kerry Nolan about its history and future.
