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Feds cite UConn for research monkey death
By KIMBERLY GRAVES Chronicle Staff Writer
Posted 07/23/2006
(Action information below article)
Featured in Saturday July 22 issue of The Willimantic Chronicle www.thechronicle.com
STORRS — The U. S. Department of Agriculture has cited multiple violations in the death of a monkey during a brain research study by a member of the University of Connecticut Health Center faculty, but has issued no fines or other disciplinary action.
Several violations were found during a routine inspection of the Farmington health center in March after issues of noncompliance surfaced in November, when Cornelius died during a study conducted by Dr. David Waitzman.
The USDA cited noncompliance as failure to “ painlessly euthanize an animal who would otherwise experience severe or chronic pain” in its March inspection report, which was just obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the university’s Storrs- based Animal Rights Collective.
USDA standards call for humane treatment of animals and require that procedures involving animals must “avoid or minimize discomfort, distress and pain to the animals.” USDA standards also say “animals that would otherwise experience severe or chronic pain or distress that cannot be relieved will be painlessly euthanized at the end of the procedure or, if appropriate, during the procedure.”
In addition to seizure activity, the USDA inspection report said the monkey also experienced some episodes of vomiting, a headache manifested by moving its head and neck backwards and localized limb weakness.
In November 2005, following the death of Cornelius, graduate student Justin Goodman, who is also the president of the university’s Animal Rights Collective, began a campaign to end research on primates at the UConn Health Center. Goodman said the studies are “cruel” and the “research is neither necessary nor useful for the treatment of any degenerative human neurological disorder.”
“Our claims and concerns about Waitzman’s sloppy research practices have now been substantiated and echoed by the UCHC’s foremost oversight organization,” said Goodman.
“Not only is he engaged in a morally and scientifically bankrupt enterprise, but David Waitzman and the university administration are apparently unable to abide by even the most rudimentary of animal protection guidelines,” he said.
Goodman said the research entails “ drilling holes into the heads of otherwise healthy monkeys, implanting steel springs in their eyes, intentionally inflicting brain damage and measuring its effects on eye movements.”
Goodman said the monkeys are killed at the end of the study.
He said Cornelius was in “perfect health” before arriving at the UConn Health Center, where he was subjected to stainless steel being drilled into his head while in a straightjacket.
The inspection report said the primate continued to experience episodes of seizure activity despite the administration of anticonvulsant medication, but the animal was not euthanized and remained on study.
Among other improprieties identified in the inspection report include employment of personnel who are not appropriately qualified and trained to handle nonhuman primates and a failure to provide appropriate sedatives to animal research subjects.
The health center was also cited for failing to provide a complete description of the proposed use of the animals in the study to the oversight committee. The inspection report said there were several expected adverse events that could develop in the monkeys as a result of the study manipulations, but it did not include any description of what criteria would necessitate removal of the primate from the study or euthanasia.
According to USDA spokesman Darby Holladay, there isn’t any open investigation involving animal care into any branch of UConn.
He said the last action involving the University of Connecticut was in January 2002, when UConn was fined $129,500 for inadequate veterinary care at the Storrs campus.
Holladay said the animal welfare act, which provides for the humane care and treatment of animals bred for commercial sale, transported in commerce, used in biomedical research and exhibited to the public, requires at least one inspection per year.
Holladay said inspections are unannounced, and while the animal welfare act only requires one inspection per year, a place may have more unannounced inspections because of past compliance history.
As a result, places that have had violations in the past are more likely to have multiple inspections a year.
UConn spokesman Karen Grava deferred comment to UConn Health Center spokesman Jim Walter. He could not be reached for comment Friday.
TAKE ACTION: ***COPY/PASTE***
Dear Dr. Austin, Dr. Deckers, Dr. Waitzman and Mr.Cromer:
Thank you for your time. As a person who abhors cruelty, I am
requesting that the two remaining rhesus monkeys being held captive at the UConn Health Center be rehabilitated and relocated to an accredited sanctuary immediately. The University's claims that it is properly caring for these animals is completely discredited now due to the revelation that one of the
monkeys died during the course of the study and suffered unbearably during his
life there and the March 2006 USDA report that corroborates this information. I also request that, from here forward, a permanent moratorium be placed on the use of all nonhuman primates in biomedical research at all
University-affiliated facilities.
As a forerunner in progressive science, it is the University's obligation to
employ ethical, humane research practices. The use of nonhuman primates for
experimentation, in any capacity, is a clear violation of this imperative,
as their capacity for suffering and the harm being inflicted upon them is undeniable. Furthermore, its abundantly clear that researchers in David Waitzman's lab are unable to abide by even the most rudimentary animal protection guidelines.
I look forward to the announcement of a positive resolution to this violence.
Sincerely,
Name
City, State
***EMAIL ADDRESSES***
Philip.austin@uconn.edu, DECKERS@NSO.UCHC.EDU, waitzman@nso2.uchc.edu,
Cromer@neuron.uchc.edu
Dr. Philip Austin
President of University of CT
Philip.austin@uconn.edu
(860) 486-2333/2337
Dr. Peter Deckers
Executive VP for Health Affairs @ UConn Health Center
860-679-2100
DECKERS@NSO.UCHC.EDU
The monkeys have died directly at the hands of the two
men below:
Dr. David Waitzman
Department of Neuroscience
waitzman@nso2.uchc.edu
860-679-4313
http://grad.uchc.edu/phdfaculty/waitzman.html
Jason Cromer
Graduate Assistant to Waitzman
Cromer@neuron.uchc.edu
860-679-4313
http://neuroscience.uchc.edu/Students/Cromer.html
William Loftus, Ph.D.
Instructor, Lab assistant to Waitzman
Phone 860-679-2549
loftus@neuron.uchc.edu
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