Conference organized by:

Center for Biosecurity of UPMC

World Health Organization Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response Office

Conference sponsored by:

The Nuclear Threat Initiative

BioSafety Challenges for BioRisk Management
Presenter: Dr. Nicoletta Previsani

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Dr. Previsani prefaced her presentation by citing the prevailing challenge of "how to get people to accept and implement biosafety principles and practices" and then offered a "reality check" by showing photographs of various laboratory environments, both good and bad, in developing and developed countries. Her point was that poor practices are as much responsible for unsafe conditions as are old equipment and dilapidated facilities.

The recent SARS laboratory-acquired infection in Taiwan, in her view, illustrated her point: A researcher inappropriately used alcohol as a disinfectant and purposefully breached a glovebox to shortcut the disinfectant process.

Dr. Previsani then outlined the WHO biosafety program—promoting the use of safe practices in the laboratory, transportation, field investigations, manufacturing facilities, and health care facilities. She noted the precedent of WHO biosafety review teams routinely visiting the BSL-4 smallpox laboratory repositories at CDC in Atlanta and at VECTOR in Russia. The provisions of the program and the status of current efforts in each of these environments were described, with emphasis on the importance of creating a strong biosafety culture and the need for uniform guidelines. To this end, WHO has been active in publishing guidelines (e.g., WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 2004, and its biosecurity guidance) and best practices, as well as holding meetings to promote information exchange and collaboration among member nations.

For instance, the WHO held a conference in Lyon on "Biorisk Management in Laboratory Environments" on February 3-4, 2005, to address the key question, "How do we get to a needed biosafety culture?" One approach is to make the inculcation of a sound biosafety culture integral to national pursuit of BSL-3 and 4 laboratories. The WHO's vision for strengthening biorisk management includes increasing awareness of biosafety, clarifying training strategies, enhancing capacities for biosafety, and securing commitments and accountability from key institutions. This will be promoted through WHO's five regional collaboration centers, which will need to be expanded further, and though its linkages with other NGOs such as the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) and the European Biological Safety Association (EBSA).

Dr. Previsani also underscored the importance of distinguishing between wishful thinking and reality when it comes to what can be accomplished globally given current resources and behavioral barriers. Constraints include lack of awareness at the highest levels of national governments, inadequate resources and infrastructure, lack of sufficient technical expertise, and inadequate emphasis in training courses. The WHO strategy is to pursue "integrated biorisk management," which is directed at ensuring workers' safety and keeping laboratory work secure. This will be accomplished by promoting awareness of biosafety and biosecurity as the principal means to bring about culture change in the laboratory, with targeted training, increasing capacities, and securing worker commitments as other means to this end.

- Summary by Joseph Fitzgerald, M.H.S., M.P.H.

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