Anthrax, bird flu and other deadly biological threats are headed for another state.
That’s a bad thing, according to people involved in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s failed bid to win a $450 million grant for a lab that will study deadly animal illnesses, such as bird flu, and other contagions such as anthrax and smallpox.
The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday it has whittled down to five the list of 17 finalists for the 520,000-square-foot National Bio- and Agro-Defense Lab. The lab will replace an aging facility at Plum Island, N.Y., that was criticized for security lapses after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.