Plum Island staff members go to hospital after experiencing eye irritation at Animal Disease Center, official says

Seven people at Plum Island Animal Disease Center were taken to a hospital after experiencing eye irritation on Tuesday morning, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.

The staff members complained of eye irritation "during a routine autoclave run," spokesperson Brad Lake said. An autoclave is a device that uses steam under pressure for scientific purposes and sterilizing items. 

The seven staff members were taken to a hospital for evaluation after the 9 a.m. incident. They were all released without symptoms and were feeling fine, Lake said just before 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The Plum Island Animal Disease Center opened in 1954. Scientists study highly contagious animal diseases there. The federal government is transferring its operations to a facility in Kansas. It has also approached Suffolk County about possibly taking ownership of the island, a county spokesman told Newsday.