(BMJ) – A laboratory worker’s death from unexplained pneumonia exposes how little information is known and shared about high risk pathogen work, writes Ashish Jha

This problem extends well beyond Russia. National biosafety rules and reporting systems differ across countries and there is no common framework for independently assessing a suspected laboratory incident. The Biological Weapons Convention prohibits biological weapons, but it lacks any verification mechanisms so we know little about what countries are building. Other international treaties, such as the International Health Regulations, require governments to report serious public health incidents, but again, they lack the ability to compel countries to comply. (Read More)