Report of the World Health Organization (WHO) biosafety and biosecurity inspection team of the Variola Virus maximum containment laboratories to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, 6-10 May 2024
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World Health Organization
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[11] p.
Ensuring that variola virus is handled under the highest levels of biosafety and biosecurity is essential to mitigate global health risks associated with its retention in authorized repositories. This report presents the findings of a World Health Organization inspection conducted at the variola virus maximum containment laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in May 2024, one of the two WHO-authorized repositories of variola virus, in line with the biennial mandate established by the World Health Assembly. The document describes the inspection scope, methodology and assessment criteria applied across key domains of biological risk management, including facility infrastructure, supporting engineering systems, specimen storage arrangements and associated healthcare facilities. It examines operational practices through facility inspection, documentation review and engagement with staff, while assessing progress since the previous inspection. Findings are categorized using a structured scale distinguishing observations and priority levels, supporting a risk-based evaluation framework. The results indicate substantial improvements and the closure of several previous findings, with no issues requiring immediate corrective action. Overall, the laboratories were found to meet international standards for biosafety and biosecurity, while selected areas for further strengthening are identified and an action plan is requested to support continuous improvement.
Ensuring that variola virus is handled under the highest levels of biosafety and biosecurity is essential to mitigate global health risks associated with its retention in authorized repositories. This report presents the findings of a World Health Organization inspection conducted at the variola virus maximum containment laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in May 2024, one of the two WHO-authorized repositories of variola virus, in line with the biennial mandate established by the World Health Assembly. The document describes the inspection scope, methodology and assessment criteria applied across key domains of biological risk management, including facility infrastructure, supporting engineering systems, specimen storage arrangements and associated healthcare facilities. It examines operational practices through facility inspection, documentation review and engagement with staff, while assessing progress since the previous inspection. Findings are categorized using a structured scale distinguishing observations and priority levels, supporting a risk-based evaluation framework. The results indicate substantial improvements and the closure of several previous findings, with no issues requiring immediate corrective action. Overall, the laboratories were found to meet international standards for biosafety and biosecurity, while selected areas for further strengthening are identified and an action plan is requested to support continuous improvement.