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BIOSECURITY THREAT ASSESSMENT IN LATIN AMERICA: CICTE/OAS AND UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND LAUNCHED NEW RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

While the level of terrorist threats to biosecurity in Latin America remains relatively low, implementing internal measures and national biosafety and biosecurity regulations in laboratories and research centers is crucial. This is an essential step to prevent both intentional and unintentional biological accidents, mitigate risks, and prepare adequate responses in the event of an accident. Despite the experiences of the H1N1 epidemic in 2009 and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic, the region has shown vulnerability to biological threats.

The project titled "Strengthening Biosafety and Biosecurity in Latin America in line with Resolution 1540," conducted over the past years by the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism of the Organization of American States (CICTE/OAS) with the support of the European Union, aimed to lay the foundations for a stronger biosafety culture. The project also sought to create a Latin American network of expertise and strengthen biosafety and biosecurity standards and measures across the region.

In the context of the project, CICTE/OAS collaborated with the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland. This collaboration resulted in the development of two free online courses in Spanish for laboratory personnel and, more recently, a series of publications showcasing the findings and results of a regional survey of potential biosecurity threats in Latin America.

This two-pronged effort included a comprehensive biosecurity threat assessment of the Central and South American region and four country-level threat assessments for Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Panama. These texts, in Spanish and English, provide a high-level assessment of the region for policy-focused individuals and those responsible for working in or managing the activities of laboratories, reviewing the current situation and assessing future challenges.

By way of background, a 2013 initial publication issued in Spanish, covered the scope and interrelationship of various biosafety and biosecurity concepts, existing international obligations to biosecurity through the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and UN Security Council Resolution 1540, the application of biosecurity across different facility types, and biosecurity risks such as proliferation, bioterrorism, agroterrorism, and bio-crime. Additionally, the publication discusses the five pillars and mechanisms of biosecurity and their application in the region.

The four countries featured in these studies have demonstrated a strong commitment to bio-risk reduction at all levels of the public and private sectors in creating safer environments. CICTE/OAS has facilitated cooperation within various funded programs, including peer review exercises and sub-regional and national workshops on biosafety and biosecurity. These reports aim to contribute to further strengthening controls and developing safer activities in handling biological agents to reduce security risks.

It is expected that these works will serve as effective tools for other countries in the region moving in a similar direction, aiding them in consolidating regulatory and control mechanisms in accordance with established international standards. CICTE/OAS expresses gratitude to the experts who participated in the project, sharing their knowledge and experiences, as well as the national authorities of all the involved countries for their trust, solid commitment, and ongoing work in strengthening compliance with international obligations.

Through these publications, CICTE/OAS reaffirms its traditional institutional support for the international disarmament and non-proliferation regime. The organization continues to express its willingness to collaborate in efforts aimed at ensuring greater regional security from multiple perspectives for all countries in the Americas.

The publications can be found and downloaded here: https://www.oas.org/ext/es/seguridad/unscr1540

One of the main focus of the EU-funded project is delivering in-person workshops. In the last six months, OAS/CICTE carried out seven face-to-face training courses for laboratory personnel and scientists from the live science fields. These workshops were designed to increase awareness of bio-risks and to strengthen knowledge on the challenges concerning biological safety and security. These courses took place, respectively, in Asuncion (Paraguay) from 17 to 21 April, Panama City (Panama) from 5 to 9 June, Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) from 17 to 21 July, Bogotá (Colombia) from 24 to 28 July, Buenos Aires (Argentina) from 7 to 11 August, Montevideo (Uruguay) from 8 to 11 August, and Santiago (Chile) from 4 to 8 September. On average, some 30 participants from public or private institutions and research centers attended each of these courses.

Training in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 17-21, 2023 Professionals from: 12 laboratories, 7 hospitals, 4 health government agencies and 11 academia

RefBio - Laboratory Network - German Contribution to Strengthen the UNSGM  

Despite the 1975 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention’s comprehensive prohibition of biological weapons, a significant security concern persists. The RefBio project [1] was initiated in 2017 and is funded until 2027 with the objective to enhance the capacities of bio-analytical reference laboratories nominated to serve the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism (UNSGM) for investigating an alleged use of biological weapons. By fostering collaboration among expert laboratories worldwide, the project addresses the challenge to identify and further characterize highly pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and biological toxins potentially being misused as biological warfare agents. The RefBio project enhances diagnostic capabilities through simulation exercises based on real-life scenarios and provides trainings tailored to specific laboratory needs, promoting optimal preparedness for a UNSGM mission. The implementation of Annual External Quality Assurance Exercises (EQAEs) ensure the application of best methodologies for the identification of the agents in question. Furthermore, the fostering of collaboration facilitates the dissemination of knowledge, sharing and assessing of experimental protocols, and the harmonization of methodologies. The overarching objective is to enhance global preparedness and responsiveness to biological threats, enabling implementation of countermeasures and preventive action.

Despite the 1975 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention’s comprehensive prohibition of biological weapons, a significant security concern persists. The RefBio project [1] was initiated in 2017 and is funded until 2027 with the objective to enhance the capacities of bio-analytical reference laboratories nominated to serve the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism (UNSGM) for investigating an alleged use of biological weapons. By fostering collaboration among expert laboratories worldwide, the project addresses the challenge to identify and further characterize highly pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and biological toxins potentially being misused as biological warfare agents. The RefBio project enhances diagnostic capabilities through simulation exercises based on real-life scenarios and provides trainings tailored to specific laboratory needs, promoting optimal preparedness for a UNSGM mission. The implementation of Annual External Quality Assurance Exercises (EQAEs) ensure the application of best methodologies for the identification of the agents in question. Furthermore, the fostering of collaboration facilitates the dissemination of knowledge, sharing and assessing of experimental protocols, and the harmonization of methodologies. The overarching objective is to enhance global preparedness and responsiveness to biological threats, enabling implementation of countermeasures and preventive action.  

Enhancing the Capabilities of Bio-Analytical Laboratories

This year’s activities comprise 35 institutions from 20 different countries and 27 laboratories on the UNSGM roster (Figure 1). As a valuable advancement and to enhance the global outreach, RefBio is pursuing the inclusion of additional countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. Agent-specific EQAEs are currently ongoing, with first results anticipated by the end of this year. Additionally, three tailored training modules have been prepared and are being offered to improve and to exchange laboratory best practices and computational analysis. The annual workshop will serve to discuss the results of the exercises, the progress and future activities.  

 

Figure 1: Geographical coverage of involved laboratories since 2020.

References

[1] Appelt, S., Rohleder, AM., Invernizzi, C. et al. Strengthening the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism to an alleged use of bioweapons through a quality-assured laboratory response. Nat Commun 12, 3078 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23296-5

This year’s activities comprise 35 institutions from 20 different countries and 27 laboratories on the UNSGM roster (Figure 1). As a valuable advancement and to enhance the global outreach, RefBio is pursuing the inclusion of additional countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. Agent-specific EQAEs are currently ongoing, with first results anticipated by the end of this year. Additionally, three tailored training modules have been prepared and are being offered to improve and to exchange laboratory best practices and computational analysis. The annual workshop will serve to discuss the results of the exercises, the progress and future activities.  

References

[1] Appelt, S., Rohleder, AM., Invernizzi, C. et al. Strengthening the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism to an alleged use of bioweapons through a quality-assured laboratory response. Nat Commun 12, 3078 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23296-5