A UK lab jointly owned by Merck and Sanofi-Aventis insists that there is no evidence that it played any role in a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, despite an initial report from a regulatory group that they were the likely culprits in the case. Merial Animal Health says that its own investigation has given it "complete confidence" in its compliance on safety issues. Investigators, though, say that the strain of foot-and-mouth disease found in nearby cattle is the same strain that the lab has been working on. And government officials say that they will have to investigate whether the outbreak was a deliberate act of sabotage. A farmers' group says they may sue.
- see Merial's response to the accusations
- here's the article from The Guardian