Elon Musk's Neuralink under investigation by US government for transporting "dangerous pathogens"

Fremont, California - Elon Musk's company Neuralink is now under investigation for allegedly transporting "dangerous pathogens" without using proper safety measures.

Elon Musk's company Neuralink is under investigation for unsafely transporting brain implants taken from monkeys that may have carried diseases.
Elon Musk's company Neuralink is under investigation for unsafely transporting brain implants taken from monkeys that may have carried diseases.  © IMAGO / NurPhoto

The Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine (PCRM), an animal advocacy group, penned a letter to the secretary of the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Pete Buttigieg on Thursday about documents and emails they obtained regarding the unsafe packaging and illegal transport of implants that were removed from the brains of monkeys that may have carried infectious diseases.

The letter alleges that pathogens, including staphylococcus and herpes B virus, may have been transported without proper safety measures while the company was conducting experiments on primates at the University of California, Davis in 2019.

The PCRM argues they are "making a big deal about this because we are concerned for human safety."

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A spokesperson for DOT told Reuters that they are taking the allegations "very seriously."

"We are conducting an investigation to ensure that Neuralink is in full compliance with federal regulations and keeping their workers and the public safe from potentially dangerous pathogens," they added.

In December, the company underwent investigation by the US Department of Agriculture for animal-welfare violations after employees complained that the "rushed" testing has caused the unnecessary suffering and deaths of countless animals.

Neither Neuralink nor Elon Musk has publicly responded to the allegations brought forth by the PCRM.

Cover photo: IMAGO / NurPhoto

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