7th Annual Conference of the European Biosafety Association, 2004

Emerging Viral Infections, what is the risk and are we prepared?
Dr. Maria Zambon, Enteric, Respiratory & Neurological Virus Reference
Laboratory, Specialist & Reference Microbiology Division, London

Work in biocontainment facilities involving animals must include continuous and rational risk assessment. The basic elements include understanding the biology of the agents and the potential hazards associated with non-infected or infected animals. Physical and biological hazards should be assessed and appropriate safety measures should be taken. This breakout session will focus on how hazardous agents can be prevented from spreading from experimentally or naturally infected animals to other animals or to people.

This will be an interactive session addressing risk assessment of work involving genetically modified organisms within the context of European Council Directive 98/81/EC. Among the issues to be addressed will be:
·dealing with uncertainty
·usefulness (or otherwise) of quantitative/semi-quantitative approaches
·pros and cons of risk classification based on selection of control measures

The discussion will focus on, but will not be limited to:
·Product safety versus biosafety (where are the critical differences?)
·New production processes in need of elevated biosafety measures(gene therapy vectors, high potency biomolecules)
·Equipment update (e.g. disposables, isolators)
·Monitoring techniques

This session will address the key issues relating to the transport of diagnostic, clinical and infectious specimens as they impact the shippers, intermediaries and airlines. The regulations for classification, packaging, documentation, acceptance by carriers as well as temperature control have developed in response to risk assessment. Yet, do all the participants in the transport chain have a similar understanding of the risks. What are the risks involved with international transport? Are major changes in the regulations effective from January 2005 based on sound principles of risk assessment? And finally, does training play any relevant role in mitigating the risk inherent in transport? There will some short presentations followed by a discussion of the issues raised.

Monitoring viral contaminations in laboratories during biosafety inspections
Guido Vogel, Claudia Bagutti, Urs Vögeli, André Herrmann, Biological and Chemical Safety
Administration, Basel, Switzerland

Discussion: meaning of results 

Lead by Stefan Wagener

CONFERENCE RECEPTION AND DINNER

Pick-up at hotel - Timetable: see EBSA welcome desk