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Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-Containment Biological Laboratories Summary of a Workshop (2012) / Chapter Skim
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9 Concluding Plenary Discussion: Major Themes and Next Steps
Pages 89-92

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From page 89...
... Others desired minimal standards that could serve as an attainable goal.1 Many argued that while BSL levels were created as specific measures to mitigate particular risks, recently BSL levels have often been used as general-purpose, canned solutions. A common complaint was that by strictly enforcing adherence to one of the standard levels, funders often stop engineers and architects from 1 Global Laboratory Initiative's recommendations for tuberculosis procedures (described in Chapter 6)
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From page 90...
... , indicating that prudent handling practices depend not only on the organism, but also the procedures to be performed and the endemic situation.2 Additionally, one person noted that for precautionary reasons, novel pathogens are usually assumed to be high-risk, and that the initial classification is rarely revisited unless the microbe causes an outbreak that overwhelms the public health system. Hence, the participant said, a systematic reassessment of organisms that downgrades pathogens when appropriate would likely speed research, improve preparedness, and increase the number of potential research collaborators.
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From page 91...
... To increase funds for operations and maintenance and support for regulatory changes from national governments and donors, laboratories might increase their efforts to describe containment laboratories in the context of government priorities, national health systems, and local economies. Both labs and their communities benefit when consumables and equipment are available locally, and a quick response during a public health emergency relies on preexisting bridges between a containment lab and the public health infrastructure.
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Key Terms

  • national governments
  • hospital isolation
  • disciplined regulatory
  • particular risks
  • rarely revisited

  • restrictive shipping
  • security standards
  • sufficient indigenous
  • precautions suited
  • molecular diagnostics

  • international health
  • drew attention
  • risk analysis
  • current norms
  • individual mentoring

  • current world
  • help define
  • government priorities
  • own diagnostic
  • local economies

  • revisited unless
  • inadequate transportation
  • collaborations rely
  • health infrastructure
  • common complaint

  • mitigate particular
  • related fields
  • communities benefit
  • world organisation
  • enforcing adherence


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