Spokane: Urge the Board of Health to Track Contagious Diseases in Monkeys!
Schedule
Thu, 04 Jun, 2026 at 08:30 am
UTC-07:00Location
Historic Davenport Hotel | Spokane, WA
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Please join PETA, NARN (Northwest Animal Rights Network), and PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) at the Washington Board of Health meeting, where the board will be discussing and voting on our first-of-its-kind Petition for Rulemaking, which aims to close the gap by requiring the Washington State Board of Health to mandate the reporting of contagious diseases in primates used in experiments. Several cases of diseases transmissible to humans have occurred at the University of Washington's Washington National Primate Research Center, which recently dropped “primate” from its name in a PR move. These include Shigella, Campylobacter, and Giardia—all highly contagious, nasty diseases that can be transmitted to humans. The Department of Health already tracks these outbreaks in humans, but does not track them in captive monkey populations. This is a dangerous gap.
As long as these pathogens remain confined to monkeys at UW, they fall into a regulatory blind spot, triggering no reporting, no surveillance, and no public health response. This creates a gap in oversight: pathogens reportable in humans are not tracked when they circulate in animals confined in facilities physically integrated with the UW Medical Center, including shared hallways, infrastructure, and staff movement between spaces.
Please join us to urge the Washington State Board of Health to close the gap and mandate the reporting of contagious diseases in primates used in experiments!
Here are the details:
WHEN: Thursday, June 4, 2026; 8:30am – 10:30am
WHERE: The Historic Davenport Hotel - 10 South Post Street, Spokane, WA 99201 (Early Bird Room) (Please meet at the main hotel entrance on South Post, and we will go into the meeting together)
CONTACT: Maria Leonardi, [email protected]
We have a required dress code! Please dress sharply in business or professional attire and close-toed shoes. We must ensure that the focus remains on the animals without any distractions that could shift people’s attention.
All materials, such as posters, will be provided.
Please refrain from bringing dogs, as there might not be a comfortable place for them to lie down during the protest.
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Where is it happening?
Historic Davenport Hotel, 815 W Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99201-3907, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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