3 December 2019
Geneva Supports Outbreak Readiness Mobile Lab
During the 2019 ASTMH Annual Meeting, Integrum Scientific revealed a first of its kind mobile BSL-3 lab, the first outbreak readiness and response vehicle designed specifically for on-site work in the challenging equatorial regions where research, diagnostics, and treatment are needed most. This ruggedized mobile lab aims to reduce the impact of pandemic threats in remote and vulnerable environments by improving surveillance, increasing prevention, standardizing preparation, and speeding response times.
In recent years, virulent infectious diseases including yellow fever, Lassa fever, and Ebola virus disease have reemerged in underdeveloped parts of the world. Severe respiratory illnesses, such as SARS and MERS, have the capability to spread globally with exponential speed through air travel. The availability of laboratory infrastructure and trained personnel capable of properly diagnosing and treating infected individuals is critical to rapid and effective outbreak response. However, outbreaks frequently originate in challenging environments with limited infrastructure, severely limiting the ability to rapidly deploy specialized lab equipment and trained personnel to the heart of the outbreaks.
In response to these needs and challenges, Integrum Scientific has developed a new generation of mobile laboratories to enable rapid diagnostic response as well as clinical response and evaluation. These labs are designed to operate at the epicenter of outbreaks in remote areas, as they are ruggedized, rapidly deployable, and self-powered. The labs can be shipped by air, travel off-road, and run on “dirty diesel.” They will provide a BSL 3+ laboratory environment, Class II biosafety cabinets, and a pass box to reduce the risk of contamination. Each vehicle will be outfitted with onboard power supply units with uninterrupted battery backup to provide deliberate redundancy. They will also have their own source of network connectivity for data management and real-time communications.
Geneva is thrilled to partner with Integrum Scientific in this endeavor. Integrum Scientific is an outbreak readiness and response company founded to reduce the impact of infectious disease and other outbreak causes, especially in the most vulnerable regions of the world, by improving surveillance, supporting prevention (including clinical trials), standardizing preparation (including training), and advancing field response times and capabilities.
*Top Photo L-R: Integrum Scientific Chief Executive Officer Joseph Sgherza and Geneva President and Chief Executive Officer Elise Huszar
