Accidents Spur a Closer Look at Risks at Biodefense Labs.

The article reports on the debate about safety at U.S. biodefense laboratories. The unreported infection with a dangerous pathogen and other biosafety breaches at Texas A&M University heightened the said debate. The problem at the University has led federal officials to shut down its biodefense research. It also coincides with the accidental release of foot-and-mouth virus from a research facility in Great Britain that shows the potential economic devastation if a pathogen escapes. These events create urgency to an assurance of a safe laboratory on biodefense research after the 2001 anthrax attacks.