Global community should prevent increasing threat of bioterrorism

Nov. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- The problem of world biological safety again became very popular after some media reported about the US plans to build its microbiological laboratory in the vicinity of Ukraine’s suburban town of Shelkostantsia near Merefa.

According to the published information, the project is implemented on the basis of the agreement between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the US Ministry of Defense concerning cooperation in preventing the spread technology, pathogens and expertise that can be used to develop biological weapons signed on 29 August 2005. Nine laboratories in Ukraine have already been converted or built under this agreement.

The observers are concerned about the secrecy of works on creation of such institutions (http://penzanews.ru/en/opinion/51952-2012) and about the fact that Pentagon – but not a civilian agency – stands at the head of this project.

Certain fears are also associated with the need for construction of large storage facilities for pathogens that are required in the laboratory under the contract. According to the experts, these storage facilities cannot provide “protection against biological threats,” while the quantity of microorganisms sufficient for laboratory tests does not exceed the volume of the tube.

Moreover, local people express anxiety about the location of future biological laboratory, the construction of which is planned for the area adjacent to a residential neighborhood.

“We do not want to be hostages of what to be created here and we will oppose it in all possible ways. This place is particularly suitable for fast distribution of any pathogens. The small river Rzhavchik, which falls into the Mzha and then into the Seversky Donets that supplies all East Ukraine with drinking water and then falls into Don in Russia, is just 500 meters from it. Nearby there is the route “Simferopol — Moscow” with heavy traffic, and it is in 300 meters from a place of alleged construction of biological laboratory. 1,5 km away, there is a railroad. The wind direction changes every six months: first, it blows to Kharkov and then to Novaya Vodolaga, so the residents of this town also actively participate in petition against construction. In case of unforeseen circumstances, the distribution of pathogens will be very fast and will spread over huge territories. We are especially indignant at the fact that the laboratory construction is planned about 70 meters away from the houses,” said Yuri Grebenuk, one of the Ukrainian activists.

In turn, Nikolai Ruchkin, the chairman of the ecological community “Zelena Vezha,” also noted that the organization will not allow the facility construction and “will resist the invasion of the invaders who want to turn Ukraine into a testing ground for questionable technology.”

Meanwhile the biological activity of the United States is a concern not only to the citizens of those countries where the US laboratories are built but also to the wider international community.

“On July 12, the US Department of State published a report On Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Non-proliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments for 2012, which provides evaluations of respect of contractual commitments by other states. Like in the previous years, the United States continue to beg the question that Russia allegedly continues to violate its commitments under some international treaties. In particular, the respect of Russia’s commitments under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) is questioned again. No proof as always. At the same time, these American concerns could have been be fully eliminated long ago, of the United States did not block the creation of a verification mechanism within BTWC. Such mechanism would also allow removing many questions to the United States as regards the involvement of several US organisations into large-scale double application biological activities. As you know, results of such activities may be used for the purposes contrary to BTWC Article I. Beside that, there is no documentary evidence that all the site under United States’ jurisdiction or control, which earlier participated in military biological programmes, have been destroyed or diverted to peaceful purposes pursuant to BTWC Article II. We are also seriously concerned with biological activities of the US Department of Defence near Russian borders,” says the message of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

Commenting on the construction of the biological laboratory in Merefa, Sarah Reinke, expert on the CIS states, head of the Berlin office of the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), said that in the case of such projects it is of the utmost necessity to involve the population concerned in the decision making process.

“As far as I understand, there was no stakeholder dialogue and the information politics about the projects were not transparent at all. This of course leads to suspicion and raises doubts as to the good intentions of the project,” she noted.

Moreover, in her opinion, the issue is politically charged.

“In the wake of the EU-Ukraine summit in Vilnius the whole debate surrounding the laboratory has a political dimension especially in connection to the relationship between Russia and Ukraine. It seems to me that an interference of the US has the potential of worsening the relationship even more,” Sarah Reinke added.

Speaking about the threat of bioterrorism in general, Donald Henderson from UPMC Center for Biosecurity stressed that it is significantly greater today than it was in the past.

“As scientists and politicians became increasingly aware of the potential threats – indeed, possible disasters – they have become more conscious of laboratory safety issues and needed countermeasures that can be taken should an attack occur. Meanwhile, science has progressed in its sophistication and in its capability to do greater good for larger numbers but, at the same time, potentially greater harm. Increasing numbers of scientists in increasing numbers of laboratories in many more countries have obtained both skills and access to equipment for the development and production of both biological and chemical weapons,” the expert said.

That is why, in his opinion, it is necessary to educate about the threats and to develop efficient regulations and oversight mechanisms.

“The recent array of concerns about new pandemic strains of influenza illustrates well the difficulty in keeping abreast with the science and in preparing adequate diagnostic instruments and vaccines to cope. Even with early detection when a new strain emerges, it is difficult to foresee an optimal outcome even in the best equipped countries,” he noted.

According to him, in 2002 the US invested special funds to assure better preparedness and response mechanisms at state and local level.

Full text news agency "PenzaNews": http://penzanews.ru/en/opinion/54582-2013