Possible dangers include not just misuse but unintentional releases of pathogens. In two recent incidents at the CDC, H5N1 virus was accidentally shipped to a lab instead of a harmless virus, and dozens of workers were potentially exposed to anthrax.
Safety lapses in US government labs spark debate
Head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pledges ‘comprehensive, sweeping change’ after incidents involving influenza and anthrax.
Sara Reardon
16 July 2014
https://www.nature.com/news/safety-lapses-in-us-government-labs-spark-debate-1.15570
The move, announced today by CDC director Thomas Frieden, comes after the agency revealed in recent weeks that staff members were potentially exposed to anthrax and unintentionally shipped H5N1 influenza virus to another government laboratory. The incidents are part of a larger pattern of safety violations documented in reports from the CDC and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), prompting “the comprehensive, sweeping change in our lab culture we’re now implementing”, Frieden told a US House of Representatives committee.
Scientists call for urgent talks on mutant-flu research in Europe
Benefits and risks of ‘gain-of-function’ work must be evaluated, they say.
Heidi Ledford
20 December 2013