GEORGIA : U.S. Tries to Tighten Disease Shipments

Federal officials are moving to tighten restrictions on the shipment of infectious diseases amid growing concerns about the potential for biological terrorism. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said a proposed regulation would make 40 pathogens and toxins subject to a new government tracking system. The proposed regulation would require all shippers and receivers of disease samples to register with the federal government and use special forms to record their transfers. Recipients would have to acknowledge the shipment’s arrival within 24 hours and sign a statement guaranteeing the proper disposal of samples.