NIH Halts Work at High-Level Infectious Disease Laboratory

Officials said there have been multiple safety violations at the lab at Fort Detrick.

Personnel work inside the biosafety level 4 lab at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick on Sept. 26, 2002. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. health officials have shut down work at a laboratory in Maryland that focuses on high-risk infectious diseases.

Health officials halted work at the Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, also known as IRF-Frederick, after multiple safety violations, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) official told The Epoch Times in an email on May 5.

The official confirmed that in one of the incidents, one researcher poked a hole in another researcher’s personal protective equipment.

The other safety violations are not clear.

An email sent to the National Interagency Confederation for Biomedical Research, a consortium of eight agencies that oversees the IRF and other research facilities at Fort Detrick, was not returned. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the NIH that manages the work at the IRF, did not respond to a request for comment.

Researchers at the IRF handle high-risk pathogens, including avian influenza, also known as bird flu, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Ebola. The facility “has the capability” to perform research at biosafety level four, which indicates the highest risk, the IRF’s website states.

Work at the IRF will resume “as soon as the safety of our team is assured,” the Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the NIH, said on social media platform X.

Officials for Frederick County, where Fort Detrick is located, said they were concerned about the work stoppage.

“This facility has been at the forefront of studying deadly infectious diseases, including Ebola, and its work is crucial for public health and safety,” Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater and four members of the Frederick County Council, including its president, Brad Young, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

“The indefinite pause in its operations not only jeopardizes ongoing research but also undermines our preparedness for future outbreaks.

“Frederick County has long been a hub for scientific innovation and research. The IRF’s contributions have not only advanced our understanding of infectious diseases but have also brought significant economic benefits to our community. The closure of this lab threatens to disrupt our local economy, potentially leading to job losses and a decline in scientific collaboration. We urge the federal government to reconsider this decision and recognize the vital role that the IRF plays in safeguarding public health and supporting our local economy. The work conducted at this facility is too important to be halted indefinitely.”