Allegheny County's new state-of-the-art laboratory to test for bioterrorism materials like anthrax, plague and botulism, as well as a host of other infectious diseases, could open early next month, Dr. Bruce Dixon said at this week's county Board of Health meeting.
Dr. Dixon, executive director of the county Health Department, said the commissioning of the $5.6 million laboratory in Lawrenceville, originally proposed in 2002, is expected to begin at the end of the month.
Dr. Dixon said only a portion of the ventilation system remains to be fixed before the lab can operate.
Commissioning of the lab entails testing the facility to certify it as part of the federal Laboratory Response Network.
First Published: January 9, 2009, 5:00 a.m.
