PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
CBP Labs Counter Threats at US Borders
By Tyler Wolford, MS, senior specialist, Laboratory Response Network
Despite increased awareness and
intelligence gathering, improved
surveillance systems and expanded
detection capabilities, biological and
chemical threats agents continue to
threaten public health. Examples are
not hard to find. In 2013, a Canadian
researcher illegally transported 17 vials
of live Brucella into China in his luggage.
More recently in 2018, a suspected
terrorist was arrested in Germany in
possession of ricin and plans to carry out
a biological attack.
Sentinel Lab at Borders
US Laboratory Response Network (LRN)
laboratories maintain capability to
identify biological and chemical threat
agents such as anthrax and ricin in
clinical and environmental samples.
Within US borders, LRN laboratories
depend on first responders and sentinel
clinical laboratories to recognize and rule
out threats or refer samples to the LRN for
confirmatory testing. At US borders and
ports of entry, the US Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) assumes this duty.
As the largest federal law enforcement
agency under the US Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), CBP has
broad responsibility for safeguarding
US borders. CBP agents are responsible
for screening passengers, pedestrians,
vehicles, shipping containers and imports
at US ports of entry for illicit goods and
inadmissible people. If biological or
chemical threat material is suspected
or a person is exhibiting infectious
disease symptoms (e.g., travelers from
regions where highly pathogenic disease
is prevalent), samples are collected,
packaged and sent to CBP and LRN
laboratories for further testing.
Laboratories in the CBP Office of
Information and Technology, Laboratories
and Scientific Services Division (LSS)
provide forensic and scientific testing
to support enforcement of trade and
narcotics laws and to detect and intercept
weapons of mass destruction and other
hazardous materials.
Partners in Detection
Although CBP laboratories have extensive
capabilities in chemical threat detection,
they depend on partnerships with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and
LRN for biological threat detection. When
CBP agents identify a suspected biological
threat agent or infectious person,
they contact the FBI Weapons of Mass
Destruction (WMD) Directorate or local
health officials to discuss threat level, risk
mitigation and sampling procedures. The
sample is transported to the laboratory for
confirmatory testing.
But public safety demands continual
advances in threat detection systems and
processes. To this end, APHL is developing
a memorandum of understanding with
DHS to ensure standardized systems and
processes for biological threat detection
at US ports of entry. Concurrently CBP
is improving training, technology, risk
analysis and threat visualization at ports
of entry. n
APHL is developing a memorandum
of understanding with DHS to ensure
standardized systems and processes
for biological threat detection at US
ports of entry.
24
LAB MATTERS Winter 2019
PublicHealthLabs
@APHL
APHL.org