This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
ES Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
ES Magazine logo
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Digital Edition
    • Ad Index
  • Products
  • News
  • Sectors
    • Colleges/ Universities
    • Commercial
    • Government/ Institutional
    • Health Care
    • Hospitality
    • K-12
    • Mission Critical
  • Topics
    • Building Automation
    • Cooling & Chillers
    • Design/ Construction Process
    • Heating & Boilers
    • IAQ
    • Life Safety
    • Motors & Drives
    • Pumps & Flow Controls
    • Retrofits
    • Ventilation
  • Columns
    • Back2Basics
    • Building Automation Column
    • Case In Point
    • Commissioning
    • Editor's Note
    • Facility Files
    • IAQ: A Physician's View
    • Tomorrow's Environment
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • Video Spotlights
    • Interactive Spotlights
    • Sneak Peek Spotlight
    • White Paper eBlast
    • Case Study eBlasts
  • Resources
    • eNewsletters
    • Continuing Education
    • White Papers
    • Industry Events
    • ES Store
    • Classifieds
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Market Research
  • Today's Boiler
    • Today’s Boiler Digital Edition
  • Directory
    • SourceBook
    • Take a Tour
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
Home » China's Latest SARS Outbreak Contained, But Biosafety Concerns Remain

China's Latest SARS Outbreak Contained, But Biosafety Concerns Remain

May 28, 2004
Reprints
No Comments
It has been more than a month since the last case was placed in isolation in China's latest SARS outbreak, prompting the World Health Organization to declare that the chain of human-to-human transmission appears to have been broken.

However, WHO experts and the Chinese authorities are still trying to determine the exact cause of the outbreak. The investigation has centred primarily on the National Institute of Virology in Beijing where experiments using live and inactivated SARS coronavirus have been carried out. Two researchers at the Institute developed SARS in late March and mid-April. The outbreak was reported on April 22 and the institute was closed a day later.

Preliminary findings in the investigation have yet to identify a single infectious source or single procedural error at the Institute - and it is conceivable that an exact answer may never be determined. Neither of the researchers is known to have directly conducted experiments using live SARS coronavirus. However, investigators have serious concerns about biosafety procedures at the Institute - including how and where procedures using SARS coronavirus were carried out, and how and where SARS coronavirus samples were stored.

WHO and Chinese authorities view with concern the occurrence of laboratory-associated SARS cases. WHO urges all Member States to view this latest outbreak as an opportunity to review the biosafety practices of institutions and laboratories working with SARS coronavirus.

During and after the SARS outbreak of 2003, a large number of specimens were collected from possible human cases, animals and the environment. These specimens, which may contain live SARS coronavirus, are still kept in various laboratories around the world. Some of them are stored in laboratories at an inappropriate containment level. SARS coronavirus has also been propagated in reference and research laboratories, and distributed to other laboratories for research purposes. Research using live and inactivated SARS coronavirus - and other pathogens capable of causing serious illness -- is being conducted in many laboratories.

WHO has issued the following laboratory safety guidelines and recommendations:

  • WHO biosafety guidelines for handling of SARS specimens -- www.who.int/csr/sars/biosafety2003_04_25/en/ .
  • Summary of the discussion and recommendations of the SARS laboratory workshop of October 22, 2003 -- www.who.int/csr/sars/guidelines/en/SARSLabmeeting.pdf.
  • WHO post-outbreak biosafety guidelines for handling of SARS coronavirus specimens and cultures -- www.who.int/csr/sars/biosafety2003_12_18/en/ .

In these guidelines, WHO strongly recommends Biosafety Level 3 (BSL 3) as the minimum containment level to work with live SARS coronavirus. WHO also urges Member States to maintain a thorough inventory of laboratories working with and/or storing live SARS coronavirus and to ensure that necessary biosafety standards are in place.

WHO commends the Chinese authorities for taking swift action to contain the latest outbreak once it was recognized and reported, by way of extensive contact tracing and the quarantine and medical observation of such individuals. Once again, it has been demonstrated that SARS is a containable disease.

es-subscribe

Related Articles

Energy Remains a Key Concern, Who Will Provide the Solution?

TB, SARS and the Surgical Suite

Biosafety Ventilation Systems

Maintaining Proper Pressure Cascades Are Crucial to Contain Laboratory Contaminants

Related Products

Facility Piping Systems Handbook, 3rd Edition

Energy-Efficient Building Systems

Energy Systems Engineering: Evaluation and Implementation, Third Edition

Maintenance Engineering Handbook, 8E

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

Dynamic Data Center Workloads Require a Dynamic Cooling Solution

Dynamic Data Center Workloads Require a Dynamic Cooling Solution

Protecting Pharmacists

Protecting Pharmacists: New USP 800 Standards Focus on Safety in Handling Hazardous Drugs

The Dangers of Neglecting Regular Boiler Maintenance

The Dangers of Neglecting Regular Boiler Maintenance

A2L Nov 2019 Figure 1

A2L Refrigerants: Safely Addressing Flammability Concerns

Jeff Edwards

Jeffrey W. Edwards Presented with ASPE Award of Merit

ES-20toWatch-winners250


Todays boiler

Events

December 30, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Favorite Engineered Systems columns

Which Engineered Systems column is your favorite:
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Green Energy Management Book

The Green Energy Management Book

Learn from our experts how to evaluate job opportunities, market your services, sell a Walk-through Survey, target areas for an Energy Audit, calculate energy savings, do retrofit work, and win continuing contracts for retrofit work.

See More Products

ES Kohler webinar


ES_2018Top10States_360

Engineered Systems Magazine

Engineered Systems December 2019

2019 December

Check out the December 2019 edition of Engineered Systems: Discussion of the "next generation" of building controls, the health impact of indoor particulate matter, evidence-based decision-making in the built environment and much more!
View More Create Account
  • Resources
    • ES Glossary
    • HVAC glossary
    • New Products
    • Mechanical Group
    • Partners
    • List Rental
    • Privacy Policy
    • Survey And Sample
  • Want More
    • Connect
  • Contact

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing