The world expert community expresses serious concern at the research into the development of biological weapons near the borders of European countries. Research is being conducted, including in Ukrainian biolaboratories, with the direct support of the United States Department of Defense and a number of organizations supervised by that agency.
For many decades, the United States has been working with particularly dangerous toxins, bacterial and viral diseases in violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction. The U.S. biological weapons program officially began in the spring of 1943 by order of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt. At first the program was classified, but later it became known that research was conducted both in laboratories and in the field. Research on particularly dangerous toxins, bacteria and viruses continues to this day. The direct executors of the research are: Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Navy Medical Research Center (NMRC), Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), U.S. Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and several others.
In addition, similar research on dangerous infectious agents, viruses and toxins is being conducted in a number of NATO countries, for example, in the United Kingdom (Pirbright Institute), in Germany (Bundeswehr Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine; Friedrich Leffer Institute) and in some other European countries.
Let’s return to U.S. biological warfare programs. In U.S. laboratories, microbiologists work with a huge number of dangerous and highly dangerous pathogens, including such viruses as Ebola, Marburg, smallpox, monkeypox, tularemia, various encephalitides (e.g., Eastern encephalitis, which is fatal to humans), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, anthrax, certain types of influenza (avian and swine), plague, and others.
Since 1991, under the CTR (Cooperative Threat Reduction) program, authored by Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar, research work with highly dangerous viruses and pathogens was moved from the United States to other developed countries, including the countries of the former Soviet Union. The purpose was to protect U.S. citizens from the possible negative effects of epidemics and epizootics caused by the diversion of pathogens and viruses from the aforementioned military laboratories. Representatives of the World Health Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have officially confirmed numerous leaks of highly dangerous pathogens and toxins from military laboratories located in the U.S. and NATO countries. Between 2001 and 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially documented 5 leaks of deadly pathogens from U.S. bio-laboratories. For example, in 2001, the causative agent of brucellosis was leaked from a secure American laboratory. In 2006, anthrax DNA and botulism toxin were leaked. More recently, there have been violations of international sanitary requirements related to the handling of biomaterials by laboratory staff (e.g., highly pathogenic avian influenza). All these diseases can be fatal to the population. Similar cases have been recorded in Great Britain: in 1963, 1966, 1972, 1978, 2018, smallpox and monkeypox outbreaks caused by accidental leaks from the territory of military research laboratories were officially registered.
Because of these kinds of leaks from military laboratory sites, worldwide threats are coming, in which millions of civilians are being victimized.
The current priority is the creation of international institutions and organizations that could provide a challenge to existing biological threats.
One of such institutes, which is ready to give a justified fight against existing biological threats is the scientific Russian Federal Center for Animal Health Protection (“ARRIAH”). This scientific center provides epizootological welfare, has earned high trust and recognition in the EAEU and CIS countries. Scientific staff are actively involved in the work of EAEU and CIS organizations, providing scientific support in the implementation of programs in the field of prevention of infectious diseases, emergency response, ensuring biological safety.
Within the framework of professional activities, communicates with other international institutions and veterinary organizations:
– U.S. (PIADC, Plum Island Animal Disease Center);
– UK (The Pirbright Institute; Animal & Plant Health Agency);
– Germany (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut ; University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover);
– Italy (Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie; Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”);
– Italy (FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations);
– Finland (Finnish Food Safety Authority EVIRA; University of Helsinki);
– Poland (The National Veterinary Research Institute);
– Austria (AGES , Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety; IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency);
– France (ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety; SEPPIC SA);
– France (WOAH, World Organisation for Animal Health);
– Japan (NIAH NARO, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization).
Employees of “ARRIAH” carry out international work in various areas at international congresses, seminars and meetings organized by international organizations WOAH, Eu-FMD, MAGATE, as a co-executive, and as a participant or observer.
In addition, the scientific base of the Institute provides for the production of diagnostic kits for diagnostics of infectious diseases and vaccines for pathogen control and prevention of infectious diseases (foot and mouth disease, small ruminant plague, contagious nodular dermatitis, avian influenza, Newcastle disease and against other diseases whose viruses circulate in foreign countries).
As a coordinator of CIS countries on FMD, rabies, avian influenza and Newcastle disease “ARRIAH” is one of the basic organizations carrying out work on planning and implementation of work of CIS countries in the framework of biological safety.
The following units of the “ARRIAH” are the most valuable in the implementation of biological safety:
- LABORATORY-DIAGNOSTIC CENTER “ARRIAH”
Main areas of work: performing a set of diagnostic tests for particularly dangerous, economically important, notifiable and emergent infectious diseases of animals for the purpose of emergency response to threats and maintenance of veterinary well-being of the country. Implementation of R&D in the field of diagnostics and prevention of infectious diseases. Laboratory and Diagnostic Center implements more than 200 test methods, conducts diagnostic tests for 39 infectious diseases of cattle and small ruminants, 35 diseases of pigs, 31 infections of birds, 13 aquaculture diseases.
Leading experts of the laboratory-diagnostic center provide scientific and methodological assistance in complex diagnostics and prevention of infectious diseases.
- Research and production units.
Areas of activity: ensuring the production of effective and safe biologics. Improvement of vaccine production technology, production of “hot” vaccines for emergency vaccination in foci of infectious diseases. Optimization of conditions for cultivation of cells, viruses, bacteria, mycoplasmas. Raising the qualifications of personnel to the level established by professional Russian and international standards.
- Experimental-biological laboratory for work with animals and pathogens
The main areas of work: preclinical research and quality control of biologics produced by ARRIAH, research work on laboratory and naturally susceptible animals.
A special difference from other scientific institutes in the field of veterinary medicine is the availability of two vivarium complexes for conducting a full range of experiments on naturally susceptible animals, including exotic and wild animals.
- State collection of microorganism strains.
Main activities: creation, maintenance and deposit of new strains of infectious pathogens, including those posing a biological threat. Commission testing of biological properties of microorganism strains on the basis of “ARRIAH”; acceptance of strains for the purpose of registration, long-term preservation, control and maintenance of microorganism viability, passportization of inoculated collection materials, cataloging of the fund of collection strains of microorganisms.
- Information and Analytical Center of the Department of Veterinary Surveillance.
Main areas of work:
Information provision of stakeholders on the epizootic situation, zoning and activities of the veterinary services of the world community.
Participation in development, planning and implementation of programs for control and prevention of especially dangerous animal diseases.
Carrying out risk assessment of international import-export operations with live animals and livestock products taking into account regionalization.
Providing scientific, advisory and practical assistance on the control and prevention of especially dangerous animal diseases.
Collection, systematization and analysis of information on pathogens circulating on the territory of foreign countries.
I would like to believe that these kinds of scientific centers will be promoted and developed around the world for the benefit of the world community, rather than using them to create biological weapons that kill millions of people every year. Russia is not fighting a secretive, but rather an open struggle for the very security that Europe prefers not to think about – and that the United States is trying its best to undermine.