U. Vögeli

¹Kantonales Laboratorium Basel-Stadt, Kontrollstelle für Chemie- und Biosicherheit (KCB), Kannenfeldstrasse 2, 4012 Basel

Bioterror threats with Bacillus anthracis and outbreaks of new diseases such as SARS have shown a lack of preparedness to detect potentially dangerous infectious microorganisms. While routine diagnostics had been established a long time ago for common human and animal infectious diseases, there is a shortage in diagnostics of microorganisms causing rare or new kinds of infectious diseases. A even more pronounced shortage concerns the detection of microorganisms in environmental samples. Since the handling of these kinds of samples is usually complex, up to now only limited possibilities exist. To close these gaps the Swiss Federal Health Office together with the 26 Cantons have recently developed a concept of a National Laboratory Network. The Network will consist of so called Regional Laboratories for primary sample analysis and of Reference Laboratories for confirmation of initially positive results. In 2005 four out of six Regional Laboratories as well as the Reference Laboratories for bacterial and viral infectious agents will be functional.
The Network of Regional Laboratories is mainly based on existing infrastructure and hence a pragmatic and economically reasonable solution. In times of no bio incident several laboratories are used as research facilities. Compared with a ‘single-lab-solution’, a ‘network-solution’ has several advantages. One laboratory can support another in case of high sample numbers. Furthermore, should there be a technical break down in one of the laboratories, the other parts of the Network are still functioning. Important requirements for a Regional Laboratory include a safety level 3 facility, the ability of having sufficient trained personnel available and a short response time in case of an emergency. More details about the Network and its organisation will be presented.
Currently in Switzerland there is only one BL-4-laboratory available, which is spezialising in animal disease. Even with the described Network fully established the situation concerning BL-4 equipped laboratories will not be changed. Therefore questions still remain concerning diagnostics of risk group-4-agents, such as the hemorrhagic fever viruses. A safety concept is in discussion for overcoming this shortage.