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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Media Inquiries: 301-827-6250 |
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today confirmed that it is investigating reports that at least three dairy cattle have died after exposure to a toxic substance on a farm in Enumclaw, Wash., approximately 50 miles southeast of Seattle.
FDA’s Seattle District and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations are working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the King County, Wash., Sheriff’s Office, as well as authorities from the Washington State Department of Agriculture and Public Health -- Seattle and King County.
At this point the incident appears to be isolated, involving fewer than 20 dairy cattle, although not all of the exposed cattle became ill. No milk from the sick animals has entered the food supply.
FDA and FBI investigators visited the farm over the weekend and again today. Tissue samples from a cow that died Saturday are being analyzed at FDA’s Forensic Chemical Center, a specialized FDA analytical laboratory in Cincinnati.
FDA will continue its close collaboration with its sister public health and investigatory agencies and will provide more specific information as it becomes available.
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