- Hello Jeff - The pressure is finally on the labs.
We have been doing lab stories, especially Plum Island for over a decade
and FINALLY a spotlight is being turned on these bio (warfare) laboratories
which handle the world's most deadly pathogens, and it is about time.
You were front and center as far as presenting the risks of these labs.
(Note - Dr. Doyle was the first professional to sound the alarm about
the porous security at BSL facilities, and how easy it would be for accidents
and/or sabotage to occur. -ed)
-
- Now let's see what happens.
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- Patty
-
- http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3685319
-
- Vulnerable Germ Labs Tough To Identify
- By Larry Margasak
10-4-7
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- WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal
terror-fighting agencies can't identify all the American research laboratories
that could become targets of attackers, congressional investigators have
found.
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- The Government Accountability Office asked a dozen agencies
whether they kept track of all the labs handling dangerous germs and toxins,
or knew the number. All responded negatively.
-
- The findings were prepared for a House Energy and Commerce
Committee hearing Thursday.
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- The government regulates 409 laboratories approved to
work with 72 of the world's deadliest organisms and poisons, including
anthrax, bird flu virus, monkeypox and plague-causing bacteria.
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- But less is known about other labs that work with organisms
that cause whooping cough, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, meningitis, typhoid
fever, hepatitis, herpes, several strains of flu, rabies, HIV and SARS.
-
- The GAO said U.S. intelligence agencies, including the
FBI, told its investigators they need to track all labs that could be vulnerable
to terrorism.
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- U.S. intelligence agencies said they already are handicapped
by the failure of some foreign countries to regulate the shipment or possession
of biological agents.
-
- The Associated Press reported this week that American
laboratories handling the world's deadliest germs and toxins have experienced
more than 100 accidents and missing shipments since 2003, and the number
is increasing as more labs do the work.
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- No one died, and regulators said the public was never
at risk during these incidents. But the documented cases reflect poorly
on procedures and oversight at high-security labs. In some cases, labs
have failed to report accidents as required by law.
-
- The GAO report disclosed that inspectors for the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention visited a high-security lab at Texas
A&M University in February 2006, just 13 days after one worker was
exposed to Brucella bacteria. Inspectors were not told about the exposure.
The worker eventually became seriously ill, but recovered.
-
- Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
Univ of West Indies Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at:
http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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