The Kern County Department of Public Health has a new lab that will be able to test for harmful bacteria and pathogens. One of the most well-known that they'll be able to test for is Ebola.
The lab is a biosafety level 3. The machines can read DNA and tell microbiologists exactly what the DNA is. The doors leading up to the room and ventilation are specifically designed to test dangerous bacteria and specimens in a safe way.
There have been no cases of Ebola reported in Kern County, but Public Health said it's important to be prepared because someone could travel to an area with viruses then bring them back to the U.S.
"There's no risk [in Kern County] and we track it very carefully but there is a risk in other parts of the world," said Matt Constantine, Kern County Public Health Director.
The facility costed a one-time payment of $491,680 and was funded by the State of California. It will be officially finished in about two weeks.
