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Biosafety Level 3 Facility: Essential Infrastructure in Biodefense Strategy in the Republic of Croatia

Wide spectrum of microorganisms nowadays present serious health risks to humans and animals and their potential for use as biological weapons has become an important concern for governments and responsible authorities. This has resulted in the implementation of measures (known as biodefense) directed toward containment of potentially harmful biological agents with the purpose to reduce or eliminate hazards to laboratory workers, other persons, and the outside environment. Many of such pathogens are dangerous pathogens which request biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) facilities for research and management. Biosafety level 3 comprises the combinations of standard and special microbiological laboratory practices and techniques, safety equipment, and laboratory facilities recommended for work with indigenous or exotic agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease through inhalation route exposure. Croatia is endemic for many of these threatening pathogens/diseases (e.g. tularemia, pulmonary and non-pulmonary tuberculosis, brucellosis, Q fever, glanders, melioidosis, typhoid fever, viral hemorrhagic fevers, hepatitis B and C, HIV etc.). Its strategic geographic position and the overall world rise of international trade and travel unlocks the possibility for importing some new microorganisms or even occurrence of an outbreak of totally unknown infectious origin. We, also, cannot exclude the possibility of the so called deliberately emerging microbes used in intentional bioterrorist purposes. However, it is obvious that Croatia needs infrastructure and well trained human capacities on biosafety level 3 to cope with incoming public health challenges and threats. The fundamental objective of the laboratory under which dangerous agents can safely be handled, is surveillance and quick response, as a key elements in controlling of scenarios referred to above. For that purpose, the first BSL-3 facility in Croatia is in the final phase of its reconstruction at the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb. The process of training has already been established with the University of Texas Medical Branch and Galveston National Laboratory, Galveston, TX, USA.

Biodefense; Biosafety Level 3; Dangerous Microorganisms; Bioterrorism; Croatia

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