High-containment laboratories : national strategy for oversight is needed : report to congressional requesters.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

United States. Government Accountability Office

Contributor:

Kingsbury, Nancy R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Microbiological laboratories--United States.

Microbiological laboratories.

Medical laboratories--United States.

Medical laboratories.

Laboratories--United States--Safety measures.

Laboratories.

Pathogenic microorganisms.

Laboratories--Safety measures.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (iv, 97 pages) : illustrations

Other Title:

National strategy for oversight is needed

Place of Publication:

[Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, [2009]

Summary:

U.S. laboratories working with dangerous biological pathogens (commonly referred to as high containment laboratories) have proliferated in recent years. As a result, the public is concerned about the oversight of these laboratories. The deliberate or accidental release of biological pathogens can have disastrous consequences. GAO was asked to determine (1) to what extent, and in what areas, the number of high-containment laboratories has increased in the United States, (2) which federal agency is responsible for tracking this expansion and determining the associated aggregate risks, and (3) lessons learned from highly publicized incidents at these laboratories and actions taken by the regulatory agencies. To carry out its work, GAO surveyed and interviewed federal agency officials, (including relevant intelligence community officials), consulted with experts in microbiology, reviewed literature, conducted site visits, and analyzed incidents at high-containment laboratories. GAO is recommending that (1) the National Security Advisor name an entity charged with government wide strategic evaluation of high containment laboratories and (2) the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Agriculture address specific oversight issues regarding high-containment laboratories.

Notes:

Title from cover screen (GAO, viewed Sept. 22, 2009).

"September 2009."

Includes bibliographical references.

"GAO-09-574."

OCLC:

437417041