Is there a list of major accidents in biodefense labs?
Currently, there is no public record of recent breaches of security, infections of lab personnel, transportation accidents, and environmental releases of organisms at bio-containment facilities. However, the Council for Responsible Genetics has documented the following cases: In December 2002, a three-hour total power failure undermined the containment systems at an infectious disease laboratory at Plum Island, New York. Workers had to resort to sealing the doors with duct tape, as the air compressors failed.(5) Government scientists in 2002 revealed that over two dozen dangerous biological agents including anthrax and Ebola went unaccounted for in the early 1990s at the US Army Medical Research Unit (USAMRIID) in Ft. Detrick, Maryland. The location of these agents, which were subject to removal without authorization, remains a mystery.(5) On March 20th, 2003, a package containing the West Nile virus exploded in a Federal Express building in Columbus, Ohio, exposing workers to the poss
