CDC Generally Met Its Inspection Goals for the Federal Select Agent Program; However, Opportunities Exist To Strengthen Oversight

Biosafety and biosecurity incidents at laboratories involving select agents and toxins have raised concerns regarding how CDC's Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT) oversees entities that handle select agents and toxins, as well as the potential impact to public health and safety. For instance, in May 2015, the Department of Defense acknowledged that one of its laboratories inadvertently shipped live anthrax-causing bacteria. This event helped spur a July 2015 congressional hearing on oversight concerns related to the Federal Select Agents Program (FSAP). This data brief will help strengthen the FSAP by providing new analyses that DSAT can use to enhance its oversight. It is intended to complement the 2015 Annual Report of the Federal Select Agent Program, which was issued in June 2016, as well as the forthcoming 2016 annual report, which is expected to be issued in June 2017.