Saturday July 22, 2006
The Willimantic Chronicle

www.thechronicle.com

Feds cite UConn for research monkey death

By KIMBERLY GRAVES Chronicle Staff Writer

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.
---------