Virus study rumors untrue

Despite the rumors, Pitt’s Biomedical Science Towers do not contain diseases as dangerous as… Despite the rumors, Pitt’s Biomedical Science Towers do not contain diseases as dangerous as the Ebola virus.

Lisa Rossi, associate director of the News Bureau at UPMC and Pitt’s schools of health sciences, said that a bio-safety level four facility will not be built here at Pitt.

Level four facilities study diseases such as Ebola and anthrax.

Jay Frerotte, Pitt’s director of environmental safety, said that a wide variety of sciences will be studied at Pitt’s Biomedical Science Tower 3, a level three facility.

Frerotte said that level three facilities study more exotic airborne diseases that already have treatments. Level two facilities study common diseases that already have cures, such as Salmonella.

Frerotte said the Biomedical Science Tower had to meet many rigorous federal standards to pass inspection.

In an e-mail to a concerned Pitt student, Rossi said that the Department of Health and Human Services found that the Regional Bio-Containment Lab in Biomedical Science Tower 3 posed “no significant environment impact.”

Student Ed Chow initially wrote an e-mail to Rossi voicing his concerns that “there doesn’t seem to be one regulatory body that actually enforces standards.”

Rossi replied via e-mail to Chow’s questions.

“I can assure you that the Regional Bio-Containment Lab has been designed and built according to the strictest federal standards, incorporating special engineering and design features to prevent microorganisms from being released into the environment,” Rossi said. “Numerous safety and decontamination features provide multiple layers of protection for research staff, other employees working in the building and surrounding community.”

Chow said that Pitt should better educate the public about the Biomedical Science Towers.

“That means bringing folks into the facility,” Chow said, “which would be the best way of ensuring that construction is being done right.”

Giving tours of Biomedical Science Tower 3 is “highly unlikely because of all the precautions that have been taken for the people who work there,” Rossi said.

Chow said he understands that germ and bioresearch are important and extremely useful, but he would like to see more openness from the University.

“I see Pitt as a big team. We need to be let into the huddle,” Chow said.

He said that he hopes the directors follow “extra-safe” procedures in Biomedical Science Tower 3.

“We can end up shooting ourselves in the foot on this issue and make the whole effort to gain a lead on the knowledge crest concerning biologicals not work,” Chow said.

Similar to many members of the public, Chow voiced concerns that an outbreak could occur.

Rossi assured him that “readily available clinical remedies can be administered in the unlikely event there is accidental exposure or environmental release.”

Chow said that he was interested in meeting with an expert on germ research.