Highlights
• US labs handling deadly bioagents has increased in the past five years
• Matching this growth, the number of accidents with bioagents has also risen
• Security vulnerabilities and terrorists intentions indicate the need for increased oversight
Following the September 11, 2001, attacks and the 2001 anthrax scare, the US government dramatically increased biodefense spending, resulting in a significant expansion of the country’s laboratory network. Funding for laboratory research and construction rose to US$1.6 billion in 2006, up from about US$41 million in 2001, and the number of laboratories approved to handle some of the deadliest substances doubled to 409 since 2004.
However, as the number of laboratories around the country has increased, so has the number of accidents involving deadly material. While federal officials have emphasized that the overall number of incidents is relatively small, the accidents highlight the potential for a dangerous germ or toxin to be released into the general public, resulting in possibly devastating consequences.
Security vulnerabilities in US laboratories, coupled with a known intent by terrorists groups to acquire the capability for a biological attack against the US, indicates the need to address these security concerns in order to adequately protect the homeland.
Reports Document Accidents
The Associated Press (AP) conducted a review of confidential reports submitted to federal regulators regarding accidents at laboratories around the country that work with dangerous biological agents. According to the AP report, there have been 111 cases involving the possible misplacement of bioagents or human exposure to such materials since 2003 that were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Importantly, this number has increased over the years as more laboratories were approved to work with these agents.
• The number of accidents and lost shipments reported from January to August 2007 reached 36, or approximately double the number reported throughout 2004.
Included among these accidents were leaks of contaminated waste, dropped containers with cultures of bacteria or viruses, and workers bitten by infected animals. There were incidents at 44 laboratories in 24 states with some involving anthrax, bird flu, monkey pox, and plague-causing bacteria. At least 24 incidents are still under investigation.
Specific examples include:
– In July 2007, a ferret infected with bird flu virus at a laboratory in Rockville, Maryland bit a technician. The worker was placed in quarantine for five days and ordered to wear a protective mask.
– In 2006, a researcher at Texas A&M University was asked to assist in cleaning a chamber contaminated with Brucella, although had never received training to handle the bacterium. The worker leaned inside the chamber without proper protection and was infected by the bacteria.
– In 2004, three researchers from Boston University believed that they were working with an inactivated strain of the bacterium Francisella tularensis, however were actually using a virulent form that was mistakenly sent by another laboratory.
Additional Concerns
Results from US government inspections have also raised concerns over the security levels at US laboratories.
– In 2006, a report by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that 11 out of 15 universities handling agents did not meet all federal requirements, with several unable to identify who had access to the pathogens.
– Another report in 2006 by the USDA inspector general found that none of the 10 institutions working with animal and plant pathogens met all federal standards, with numerous sites failing to properly train their staff.
The Terrorist Threat
Terrorist groups have a known interest in acquiring and using a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) weapon. Specifically, al-Qaeda remains intent on developing such a device, and there is little doubt that the group has continued to pursue its efforts to acquire these capabilities.
– Prior to the fall of the Taliban, al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan, specifically one in Kandahar, focused on developing weapons composed of anthrax. The group had acquired at least small quantities of the agent.
– In January 2007, the British government ordered increased security on stocks of at least 100 deadly bacteria and viruses after a warning from MI5 that Islamic terrorists are training in bio-warfare, and that al-Qaeda is actively recruiting scientists.
Outlook
While the US incidents included in the recent AP report did not involve the theft of any bioagent, they exhibit the potential, due to the mishandling of such material, for these deadly substances to fall into the wrong hands. There were no deaths as a result of the accidents, and federal regulators have stated that the general public was never at risk, however the cases highlight the security gaps in procedures used at high-risk laboratories. In several instances, these laboratories even failed to report accidents, which is required by law.
The reports have increased calls by congressional officials and other authorities to address these vulnerabilities, and the CDC has stated that there are several changes under consideration, such as increasing the frequency of inspections and additional review of internal laboratory documents.
While security levels have significantly increased over the past several years, important vulnerabilities remain that must be addressed, as it would only take one incident involving a bioagent introduced into the general population to produce devastating consequences.