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Iraq Rapid Inactivation of High Consequence Pathogens Workshop
April 22 - April 24
On behalf of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Sandia National Laboratories will host “Developing Laboratory Best Practices for Rapid Inactivation of High Consequences Pathogens and Sensitive Equipment Workshop” in April 2024. Stakeholders from Central Veterinary Laboratories (CVL) and Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL) from the Government of Iraq (GOI) and Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) who work with high consequence pathogens will attend to develop a long-term sample life cycle management plan.
This Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) initiative will be held in Istanbul from 22 April to 24 April.
This training will consist of three Phases:
Phase I will consist of virtual sessions with institutions before and after the training event to review their laboratory’s current sample retention practices, decontamination methods and efficacy, discuss cost considerations for sustainability, and work to review and draft standardized standard operation procedures (SOPs) on the destruction and disposal of the laboratory’ pathogen repository and sensitive equipment.
Phase II will consist of a three-day workshop held in April 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey. Phase II topics will include rapid inactivation/destruction of pathogens and sensitive equipment, the role of material control and accountability in biosecurity, different types of administrative controls with a focus on biorisk management (BRM) documentation, sample inventory system components, the process of effective planning for reaching institutional BRM goals, and finally how to safeguard laboratory pathogens.
Phase III will consist of a virtual session where SNL/GCBS will facilitate Iraqi mentors identified from CVL and CPHL target laboratories in Bagdad and Erbil in conducting a virtual “Regional Rapid Inactivation Best Practices Training” for additional nominated participants from regional animal and public health laboratories to review the final developed practices, policies, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sample life cycle and rapid inactivation of high consequence pathogens and sensitive equipment management plan.
Learn more and by visiting the Sandia’s Global Chemical and Biological Security Events page or contacting contact Sarah Calcutt.