Lack of national standards on design of bioterror labs creates higher risk for accidents, panel says

U.S. labs that conduct research on bioterror germs such as anthrax are at risk for accidents because they do not have uniform design and operation standards, according to a Congressional investigative group. According to a new report by the General Accounting Office, “In the absence of some fundamental criteria, each laboratory can be designed, constructed, and maintained according to local requirements. This will make it difficult to be able to assess and guarantee safety, as we noted in our 2009 report.”

(http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130325/us-investigation-highlights-risks-bioterror-research-labs)