Bioscope ‘07

by  Dr. Barbara Price

BSL-3, BSL-4: There is No Safety in Numbers.

          The GAO representative testified before a Congressional Subcommittee that there has been a proliferation of BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs in the US and that there is no oversight of this proliferation. We do not know how many there are or where they are.

          Laboratory work learning the details of how microbes cause disease is required to prevent and defend against disease. So having enough properly trained scientists and labs to accomplish this is critical. Generally speaking, BSL-4 agents are those which cause life-threatening diseases, have potential for aerosol transmission and for which there are no vaccines or treatments; whereas BSL-3 agents have potential for aerosol transmission and may cause serious and potentially lethal infections.

          "No single federal agency, according to 12 agencies' responses to our survey, has the mission to track the overall number of BSL-3 and BSL-4 labs in the United States. Though several agencies have a need to know, no one agency knows the number and location of these labs in the United States. Consequently, no agency is responsible for determining the risks associated with the proliferation of these labs."

          The USDA, DOI, CDC, NIH, NIAID, FDA, DoD, DoJ, DOE, DHS, VA, and the states all have at least BSL-3 labs. USDA and DOI deal primarily with agents causing diseases in plants and animals. Only labs using the CDC "select agents" need to be registered with the CDC. Both USDA and CDC regulate agents that cause diseases in both animals and humans. How many labs are there and where are they?

          Labs by the numbers: BSL-4 labs: Federal - 9, academic - 4, state - 1, and private - 1. BSL-3 labs: CDC registered labs: Federal - 291, academic - 429, state - 248, private - 74; USDA registered labs: Federal - 167, academic - 58, state - 20, private - 69. Locations all around the US, most near areas with high populations (cities and universities).

          "Select agents" by the numbers: BSL-4 and BSL-3 "select agents" on the CDC list - 30, on the USDA animal list - 23, on both CDC and USDA list - 20, and on the USDA plant list - 8. How many BSL-3&4 labs are using agents not on the select agent list? BSL-4 non "select agents" - at least 5, BSL-3 non "select agents" - at least 13, including SARS, psittacosis and TB. As with the labs, the exact numbers may depend on how they are labeled.

          Do we need to know these numbers? Yes, because there have been and will be accidents and exposures. We need to keep training current and improving with dialogue between labs, especially with respect to accidents. We need to make sure the agencies that build these labs keep them Bio Safety Labs and program the funding for proper maintenance and infrastructure. Otherwise they truly become Bio Hazard Labs.

          HIGH-CONTAINMENT BIOSAFETY LABORATORIES: Preliminary Observations on the Oversight of the Proliferation of BSL-3 and BSL-4 Laboratories in the United States, GAO-08-108T, October 4, 2007

For the Professional in Government and Industry with an interest in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense, Disarmament and Verification; Emergency and Disaster Medical Planning; Industrial Health and Safety; and Environmental Protection