Conceptual bases of biological safety. Part 1

Abstract

Up to date there is a narrow and broad interpretation of the term biological safety (BS) the world over. In the narrow sense it is defined as availability of international regulations applied to diagnostic, manufacturing, or experimental works with pathogenic biological agents (PBA) in accordance with specified levels of biological hazard and BS. In a broader context it has no national, conceptual, terminological or defying basis. Therewith, establishment of this framework has become the core issue of the study. Investigations have revealed that BS should conceptually cover the whole sphere of sanitary-and-epidemiological welfare as well as related fields such as veterinary-sanitary, phytosanitary provision, ecological safety, environmental conditions (occupational, socio-economic and geopolitical infrastructures, ecological system), and be exercised to prevent and control emergency situations (ES) of biological character. It is demonstrated that this type of ES differs from ES in the sphere of public health care of international concern which is formalized in IHR (2005), in the way that it is characterized by high socio-economic and geopolitical significance of the negative influence on human vital activities, comparable with national and international security hazard. Elaborated is the conceptual, terminological and defying toolkit of the BS broad interpretation (27 terms).