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Engaging
Public in Strengthening Biosafety and Biosecuriety
Biosafety
and Biosecurity have become very important subjects since
the perception of friend and enemy has changed in the world
right after 911; this topic has received tremendous public
interest as it scrutinize the unexpected inflow of potential
dangerous products which may have devastating effects on
human, animals, crops and environment.
 In recent decades scientific research has created new and
unexpected products, knowledge and technologies that offer
first-time opportunities to improve human and animal health
and environmental conditions. Some science and technology
can be used for destructive purposes as well as for
constructive purposes. Scientists have a special
responsibility when it comes to problems of dual use and the
misuse of science and technology.
With out biosafety no one can sure about the biosecurity of
a state. Due to political instability in our region; it has
become vital to understand the importance and sensitivity
associated with this emerging discipline; therefore Pakistan
must set up proper infrastructure and effective mechanisms
to detect rapidly any biosafety and biosecurity threats or
incident in order to protect the motherland from possible
bio-disasters.
Scientific and technological developments in the area of
biotechnology, nanotechnology and genetic engineering have
increased significantly in the past decade. These
developments cut across a wide range of fields including
agriculture, medicine, environment and industry. Today there
are more than thirty institutes in Pakistan claim have
capacity to conduct biotech research and development in
different fields.
Research activities carried out in various life-sciences /
biotech institutes and laboratories to control infectious
diseases in human, animal and crops need to follow the
safety guidelines from the development phase till testing
and evaluation procedure in order to enhance biosafety and
biosecurity; otherwise there could be negative consequences
on our health, environment and economy - moreover may even
create challenges for our strategic assets and national
security. In this scenario Pakistan must establish watchdog
wings with collaboration of various bodies like Ministry of
Science and Technology, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and
Livestock, Ministry of Health, Pakistan Environmental
Protection Agency, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of
Commerce, Higher Education Commission to insure the
monitoring and implementation of biosafety and biosecurity
system in all manner.
In many languages it is difficult to distinct between term
“biosafety” and “biosecurity”; which often confuse those who
are dealing with these issues. Usually Biosafety refers to
work safety in order to restraint and control technologies
and practices that are implemented to prevent unintentional
exposure to pathogens and toxins or their accidental release
that can be harmful to people, animals, and plants. For this
research laboratories must be designed based on the
containment needs of the work being performed from basic
Biosafety level -1 to maximum containment level - 4. As
concern has grown about the possibility of infectious
diseases spreading across national boundaries - disease
control and surveillance have become a prominent part of
biosafety. Biosafety ensured through education and training
in good and safe laboratory practices. On the other hand
Biosecurity refers to institutional and personal security
measures designed to prevent the loss, theft, misuse,
accidental release of pathogens or toxins.
In many countries government bodies have issued laboratory
manuals and guidelines for use by microbiologists and
molecular biologists, clinical healthcare personnel and
environmental scientists, and for bio-waste disposal
specialists and veterinarians. Guidelines and manuals deal
with a wide range of subjects that range from biosafety in
research and teaching laboratories to working with
recombinant DNA molecules as well as to the primary
containment of biohazardous agents and the safe transport of
infectious substances, diagnostic specimens and toxic
biowastes.
Earlier this year a US team reports how it built the entire
DNA code of a common bacterium in the laboratory using
blocks of genetic material – can be used to clean fuels and
take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Now critics have
been calling for a debate on the risks, biosafety and
biosecurity of creating synthetic life in a test tube;
similarly in 2002 synthetic virus a new version of polio was
created at lab. Understanding how you construct organisms
artificially is an important first step; but scientists
still need to understand what effect altering the DNA
sequence of an organism such as bacteria will have upon
their behavior and on our ecosystem.
However there are number of challenges on the path of
Biosafety and Biosecurity at national and international
level for instance lack of education and public awareness to
potential biohazard threats, limited Government resources,
number of easily accessible agents, illegal importations,
lack of real time diagnostics, poor laboratory
infrastructure and lack of vaccination programs; above all
there is no uniform global standards for laboratory security
on which individual state can base national legislation and
regulations. This lack of harmonization has given rise to
gaps and vulnerabilities that must be addressed as part of a
coordinated global strategy to prevent any bioterrorism
threat.
Pakistan biosecurity is under increasing pressure from the
rapid expansion of world trade and as the worldwide movement
of people and goods becomes quicker and easier. All this
creates challenges for biosecurity, including increased
risks from exotic pests and new and re-emerging diseases,
and raises concerns about national security. Therefore we
must strengthen our biosafety and biosecuriety system to
ensures confidence building and harmonization with the rest
of world.
International consumers are demanding production systems
that produce safe food while respecting the environment and
animal welfare. Pakistan just has started work on a
three-year project to introduce the system of system of Good
Agricultural Practices (GAP) that will enable the country to
upgrade its fruit and vegetable farming system in line with
international standards. Faced with the threat of losing
more international markets. Pakistan has been losing
international markets of its agricultural produce -
vegetables and fruits, particularly citrus due to its
inability to comply with International Plant Protection
Convention (IPPC) standards and Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary
(SPS) regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
However Pakistan need to implement Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points (HACCP) methods to ensures food
safety, pharmaceutical safety, HACCP is used in the food
industry to identify potential food safety hazards to reduce
or eliminate the risk of the hazards being realized. Today
to product related standards and technical regulations,
system standards are rapidly gaining currency as more and
more international buyers ask for the proof that
internationally recognized, certified, operational systems
and procedures are in place for the control of food
contamination. Food Safety Management System (HACCP),
quality management (ISO-9000), Environmental Management
Standard (ISO-14000), Product Traceability, Social
Accountability (SA-8000), Occupational Health and Safety so
on.
It is worth mentioning that public must not get confuse with
ISO 9000 or ISO 9001 standards with biosafety as ISO
standards only ensures for quality management systems; set
of procedures that cover all key processes in the business
and how properly it is documented not the safety of the
product. On the other hand principles of GAPs and HACCP
basically lead us to words biosecurity system.
In February 2008; Japan pledged to step up screening of food
imports from China as hundreds of Japanese complaining of
illness. Ten people were diagnosed with pesticide poisoning
after eating the frozen meat - major food makers recall food
products manufactured at the same factory in China. In
August 2007; China has come under strong international
pressure after millions of toys exported to the United
States and Europe proved to have dangerous defects; millions
of toys were recalled by many big businesses because of
concern over toxic lead paints used in it. In 2004; Pakistan
refused to receive three Australian wheat shipments; which
were believed containing harmful fungus.
According to National Academy of Sciences USA; few
categories of Science & Technology advances that have
potential to contribute to the future development of
biological hazard products like acquisition of novel
biological or molecular diversity, Understanding and
manipulating biological systems, Production, delivery, and
packaging
Although United States is just one of many countries that
conduct research on infectious disease agents and maintain
collections of dangerous pathogens but our neighboring
countries also have either offensive or defensive biological
warfare program. Today, many biological tech facilities
located in the independent states of Russia have been
converted to civilian uses. Since political instability in
Afghanistan and economical uncertainty in the whole region
there is big concern that certain individual or groups may
have access to microbial technology and collect pathogens
highly dangerous for human, animal and crops - could
potentially diverted to destabilized the economy of a
country.
Moreover trade in microbial cultures is poorly regulated
both within and among developing countries therefore
national biosecurity regulations must be strengthened to
prevent terrorists from stealing deadly pathogens from
poorly protected facilities in those countries where laws
and enforcement are lax. So improved security for
collections of dangerous pathogens in the region is urgently
needed many laboratories lack the necessary financial and
technical resources to implement these measures for that
reason foreign technical and financial assistance would be
required. By helping to ensure that dangerous pathogens are
used only for peaceful purposes global biosecurity standards
would reinforce the prohibition on the state level
development, production, and stockpiling of biological
weapons enshrined in the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention
(BWC); this treaty has been ratified by Pakistan and many
other developing countries.
More recently there has been a trend towards more
sustainable measures such as safe trade rules for biosafety,
an example of which is the Biosafety Protocol; although
Pakistan is part to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
but it has not yet ratified Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
In the early 1980s, the government launched a program under
which expatriates visited different research laboratories
and participated in short-term courses and training
workshops. In 1981 the Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and
Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, organised a course on
recombinant DNA methodology and genetic engineering which
marked the beginning of initiatives in biotechnology in the
country.
In Pakistan most biotech research institutes declared that
they have the capacity to conduct biotech research and
development in different disciplines, however only a few
have adequate infrastructure and made noteworthy
achievements. The major centres in the country are Pakistan
Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC); National Institute for
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad;
National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (NCEMB),
University of the Punjab, Lahore; Nuclear Institute of
Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad; The Centre for
Molecular Genetics (CMG), University of Karachi; Biomedical
and Genetic Engineering Division, Dr A.Q. Khan Research
Laboratories, Islamabad; Centre of Agriculture, Biochemistry
and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad; Agriculture Biotechnology Institute, National
Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad; University of
Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi; Institute of Biotechnology and
Genetic Engineering, Peshawar; Institute of Biochemistry,
University of Balochistan, Quetta; Institute of
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Sindh,
Jamshoro; and Dr. Punjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and
Drug Research University of Karachi (HEJ).
The historical record suggests that bioterrorists are
generally opportunistic and seek out the most accessible
source of pathogens. Although some countries developed
research programs in biological weapons as early as the
1930s; Japan had an offensive biological warfare program and
performed human experiments similarly many believed Germany
was experimenting with biological agents for purposes of war
at the same time. The U.S. started offensive biological plan
in 1943. It weaponized seven biological agents such as
anthrax that could kill humans. In 1980, Sri Lankan Tamil
secessionist group threatened to infect humans and crops
with deadly pathogens. In October 2001 twenty-two people
developed symptoms and five died from the intentional
distribution of letters laced with anthrax in USA. There
have been some accident in which food borne illness have
been reported in many countries which badly effected
business in the region in1996 in USA Escherichia coli
O157:H7 was reported in California lettuce similarly in 2003
Hepatitis A reported in Mexican green onions.
In our country agricultural biosafety and biosecurity
covering crops, trees and farm and aquatic animals is of
even greater importance since it relates to the livelihood
security of nearly seventy percent of the population and the
food, health, and trade security of the nation. The world is
truly becoming a global village with reference to
communication and transport. Disease causing organisms can
spread fast through airplanes and farm trade.
Disruption of the agricultural sector can cause profound
dislocation of societies. Direct losses of plants or animals
can result in shortage of food supply, increase in food
prices, and unemployment. All this, if severe, can bring
about serious destabilizing effects on social and political
structures. Many developing countries are potentially quite
vulnerable to such destabilization, particularly if they
depend heavily on a single food crop or animal.
Nevertheless, the potential for immense economic damage is
high in a well-planned attack.
In June 2002, US President Bush signed into law “The
Bioterrorism Act of 2002”. This Act is to be administered by
the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in
collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security. The
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has the
primary responsibility for implementing the provisions of
the Act within the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Act
and regulations there under are designed to improve the
ability of the United States to prevent, prepare for, and
respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
The Act will impact not only on the food industry in the
United States itself, but also those countries; which ship
food, feed, etc. into or through the United States. In 2004
the federal “BioShield law provides $5.6 billion over 10
years to procure vaccines, therapies and other products
critical to protecting against bioterrorism.
At present President Bush’s has increases food safety and
security funding $264 million FY 2009 - USDA budget includes
increased funding for food safety and security programs in
order to improve the safety and security of America’s food
supply and agriculture; The budget increases funding for
high priority for food and agriculture defense and emerging
diseases in crops and livestock.
It is worthy the know that according to recent research
Global warming may trigger infectious diseases to spread
more easily via pests like mosquitoes, cockroaches or ticks
that are sensitive to temperature changes; the rise in
temperatures in some areas like Europe, Canada or places at
high altitude may bring diseases like malaria, dengue, where
it has never been seen as long as anyone can remember.
Similarly it is believed that higher temperatures would give
rise to new pests and diseases of crops and livestock.
Pakistan is the transitory home for many migratory birds
especially during winter season; our country is also
becoming a national village with reference to communication,
transportation, and trade. Therefore, home quarantine
assumes as much importance as international quarantine.
Cross-border movement of farm goods and animals with
neighboring countries is another area of biosecurity
significance.
Agriculture is the single largest sector and a dominant
driving force for growth and development of the national
economy of Pakistan; the economy very heavily depends on the
production of major crops like cotton, wheat, rice and
sugarcane. It accounts for 24 percent of the GDP and employs
46 percent of the total work force. Agriculture contributes
to growth as a supplier of raw materials to industry as well
as a market for industrial products and also contributes
substantially to Pakistan’s exports earnings. Almost 70
percent of country’s population are living in rural areas
and are directly or indirectly linked with agriculture for
their livelihood. Any Improvement in agriculture will not
only helps country’s economic growth to rise at a faster
rate but will also benefit a large segment of the country’s
population.
Cotton is the major cash crop of Pakistan consider as a
backbone of our economy; it accounts for 8.2 percent of the
value added in agriculture and about 3.2 percent to GDP;
which earns nearly 60% of the foreign exchange; adds over
$3.1 billion to the national economy.
This season cotton production has declined by about 15
percent which is around 10.6 millions bales as compared to
13 million bales in 2007; a decline of over two million
bales. Three main reasons are the cotton leaf curl virus (CLCV),
pesticide-resistant mealy bugs and non approved Bt cotton
varieties over 40 percent of cotton growing area adversely
affected boll size, fiber quality and weight, however in
some area harsh weather conditions also added problems for
cotton growing farmers. It is believed that cotton leaf curl
virus - Burewala strain, which resulted in huge losses to
the cotton crop in the country, was due to the introduction
of foreign non approved cotton varieties that were not
suitable to our soil and climatic condition similarly
Pakistan never had “Banana Bunchy virus” but after import of
untested banana variety from Australia; Banana crop in Sindh
never come out of its infestation and damages. Presently
there are some trees having unknown pathogenic problems
Mango Sudden Death Syndrome which need urgent attention by
the authorities to evaluate its causes. Agriculture is our
strategic asset, and must be protected from those who want
to gamble on it just to make some money or ruined our
economy.
Since Livestock (Cattle, sheep, poultry etc) for us is as
important as crops - need to be protected from diseases and
plagues because it contributes 49 per cent to the value
added in the agriculture sector. Because of the huge
financial stakes in the agricultural sector, and drug
industry involves, organized crime may take an interest in
bio-criminal activities with agricultural targets. 1950's in
Kenya, Mau Mau used plant toxins to kill livestock. Some
many be interested to destabilize important agriculture
market sector to create shortage of food, cause trade
barriers or capture market share. The European Union (EU)
imposed restriction on the import of UK beef due to the
outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE); as a
result UK bear loses in million and it took years to
convince EU to left ban on the import of its beef. Similarly
the threat to industry profits from diseases like
foot-and-mouth disease and citrus canker which increasing
globalization makes harder to control if there would not be
any biosecurity in place. The present infrastructure and
institutional framework in the area of agricultural
biosecurity, including the World Trade Organization
specifications of sanitary and phytosanitary measures but
unfortunately so far Pakistan is too slow in its strengthen
and implementation. The existing infrastructure for sanitary
and phytosanitary measures will have to be reviewed and
major gaps filled. While in developed countries, any
disaster arising from invasive alien species like the H5N1
strain of the avian flu may be more of a human health
problem.
In 2006 Poultry farming, an important sub- sector of
livestock, has suffered a loss of over Rs3 billion in one
month due to reduction in prices as well as low consumption
of poultry meat due to fear of bird flu (H5N1 strain) in the
country. So far eight cases of bird flu among people
confirmed in Pakistan by the WHO; since 2003, 341 recorded
cases among people in 14 nations; 210 were fatal Scientists
fear possible pandemic if virus mutates into more
transmissable form human to human.
In the last few year rapid spread of Dengue Fever – a viral
infections spread by mosquitoes has caused concern among
people in Pakistan as this disease was never heard before
1990’s. In Pakistan, at least 27 deaths have been reported
and the death rate from Dengue is significantly more than
elsewhere. As many as 1900 cases have been confirmed and far
more are expected. Travel services from PIA and Pakistan
Railways are taking measures to contain the spread of the
disease but looks beyond their capacity to sure biosecurity
due to lack of reinforcement system.
Number of times Pakistani government has given assurance to
world that its nuclear program is in the safe hand; in
future if we failed to develop biosafety regulation and its
implementation system; we may end-up with allegations of
bridging biosecurity; it is notable that in March 2003, when
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was captured, claimed a key
operational planner for Al Qaeda –authorities revealed that
the organization had recruited a Pakistani microbiologist,
acquired materials to manufacture botulinum toxin
(neurotoxin protein), and developed a workable plan for
anthrax production. The government of Pakistan should set
their house in order related to biosafety and biosecurity at
the earliest in order to avoid apologetic position at any
international forum.
Every country that transfers pathogens and toxins across
national borders should establish rules for the safe and
secure shipping of dangerous goods and import-export
controls, and create a national body to enforce biosafety
regulations.
World of science and technology; research in modern
biotechnology, nanotechnology and genetic engineering are
amazing piece of art however the real concern is that it’s
another example of knowledge and skill delving into matters
that have potentially dangerous consequences for mankind if
issues of biosafety and biosecurity would be ignored. There
is desperate need to engage public from all backgrounds in
order to minimize possible biohazard dangerous to human
health, agriculture and environment.
Courtesy:
Ijaz Ahmad Rao
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Pakissan.com;
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