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Title:

Everywhere You Look: Select Agent Pathogens

Authors:

Kunal J. Rambhia, Abigail S. Ribner, Gigi Kwik Gronvall

Date posted:

March 03, 2011

Publication type:

Article

Publication:

Biosecur Bioterror 2011;9(1):69-71

Publisher:

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

DOI:

DOI: 10.1089/bsp.2011.0321

Availability:

Open access

See also:

Interactive map
Full article available on publisher's site: HTML • PDF

Introduction:

The United States regulates more than 80 human, animal, and plant pathogens as part of the Select Agent Program, imposing strict controls on access by U.S. researchers and laboratories. However, almost all of these pathogens are also found in nature. The map associated with this article (see supplementary material) depicts the countries in which select agent pathogens caused disease between January 1, 2009, and October 31, 2010. Although pathogen security measures justifiably have been strengthened since 2001, the widespread natural occurrence of these pathogens indicates an inherent limitation of the regulations.