PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
laboratory in the state in 2018. occurred in
an academic laboratory in the state.
Andy Cannons
Ed Kopp
Agreement, we plan to ask for funding for
a partial full-time equivalent personnel
from the Public Health and Emergency
Preparedness cooperative agreement.
Regardless of funding, we will continue
outreach with sentinel labs in the
form of workshops and other training
opportunities.”
Laboratory Director
Andrew Cannons, PhD, HCLD/CC
(ABB) and Biosafety Outreach Officer
Edgar Kopp
Florida Department of Health Bureau of
Public Health Laboratories (BPHL) – Tampa
What gap(s) do you believe still need to
be addressed in regards to biosafety and
biosecurity?
“Clinical labs have to test a large number
of specimens as quickly and cheaply
as possible. Due to space, time and/or
monetary constraints, errors can occur
even when staff are aware of the potential
biosafety gaps in their testing procedures.
This has led to continued Brucella
exposures across Florida. Biosafety
cabinets (BSCs) are not used when they
should be for specimen and culture
observation and manipulation. Basic
biosafety practices, such as capping tubes
and working in a BSC when vortex mixing
a solution containing bacterial cultures,
are sometimes not followed. This is
especially unfortunate when that culture
contained a low inhalation infectious dose
bacterium such as Brucella, with vortex
mixing noted in the biosafety literature as
being a major aerosol generating activity.”
PublicHealthLabs
@APHL
What is the future plan for biosafety for
your public health laboratory?
“In the past year, NCSLPH provided two
very exciting and successful opportunities
for public health partners in North
Carolina. A workshop titled ‘Fostering
a Culture of Biosafety’, facilitated by
Eagleson Institute was designed to
provide valuable training to host clinical
laboratories and local health departments.
Recently, NCSLPH joined with APHL to
host a forum to discuss the effectiveness
of biosafety outreach programs between
public health and clinical laboratories and
the ongoing biosafety needs of clinical
laboratories in NC.” n
“BPHL will maintain its culture of safety
as well as possible in the years following
the ending of the ELC Biosafety funding.
Training, biosafety risk assessments,
exercises and other biosafety initiatives
will be continued as required to
meet Select Agent regulations, OSHA
requirements and other legal obligations
while trying as much as possible to
do more beyond that. BPHL is working
with the Florida legislature to establish
permanent biosafety outreach officer
positions to continue the biosafety work
it began under ELC Biosafety funding well
into the future.”
Biosafety Officer Kristin Long, PhD
North Carolina State Laboratory of Public
Health (NCSLPH)
What is one key accomplishment in
biosafety and biosecurity you are proud
to share?
“Providing increased biosafety support
to our public health partners throughout
North Carolina. We created a Biosafety
section on the state laboratory website
that includes links to document
templates, free training opportunities and
biosafety guidance resources. In addition,
we designed fillable templates for both
a BSL2 Biosafety Plan and a Biorisk
Assessment and Mitigation Worksheet
offered through the website. We have
worked alongside our Communicable
Diseases group and presented biosafety
information at numerous public
health meetings and venues as well as
collaborating with them and the CDC
to investigate a unique lab associated
infection that occurred in an academic
APHL.org
Kristin Long
At the national level, APHL will continue
its efforts to support public health
and private clinical laboratories with
strengthening biosafety and biosecurity.
More information on APHL’s initiatives is
available at: www.aphl.org/biosafety. To
share your stories or request assistance,
contact APHL at [email protected].
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