DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Dr. Thomas L. Schlenker
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
Authorizing an Influenza Reagent Resource Agreement with the American Type Culture Collection
SUMMARY:
This Ordinance will authorize an Influenza Reagent Resource User Agreement with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) to provide the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District's Bioterrorism and Influenza Surveillance Lab (Metro Health) with reagents and testing supplies from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to conduct operations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The CDC works year round to improve and enhance international influenza surveillance efforts and to build global laboratory capacity in preparation for a future pandemic. In September 2008, CDC's Influenza Division contracted with ATCC, a not-for-profit organization, to implement the Influenza Reagent Resource (IRR). The IRR, funded by CDC, is a biological reagent repository established to provide free access to influenza virus strains and research reagents. Daily operations of the IRR will be performed by ATCC under the direction of the Influenza Division at the CDC. The IRR resources are available to public health facilities, research institutions, life science companies and other entities, agencies and institutions. In the past, influenza reagents such as virus strains, World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance reagent kits, real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kits, and antisera were produced and distributed by the CDC Influenza Division. Now, reagents will be manufactured and distributed by the IRR to increase the availability and accessibility of influenza viruses and reagents for public health purposes.
This agreement will govern the transfer of research materials between Metro Health and the ATCC and the use of the research materials. Further, this agreement protects the ability of the CDC and ATCC to supply free reagents for the benefit of the public health community.
ISSUE:
Recently, the CDC has chosen to normalize access to the user community for like-purposed laboratories. As a result, Metro Health's lab is eligible for access to enhanced support in the form of additional reagents. In order to have access to these reagents, Metro Health is required to execute an IRR User Agreement with the ATCC which defines the duties of the recipients and their institutions, including the responsibility to properly handle, use, and dispose of the materials according to applicable laws and regulations and restrictions provided therein.
ALTERNATIVES:
If this agreement is not approved, Metro Health will not be eligible to serve as the regional influenza surveillance laboratory and will forgo an opportunity to obtain enhanced support in the form of additional reagents at no cost to the City.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This agreement will protect the ability of the CDC and ATCC to supply free reagents for the benefit of the public health community and will have no fiscal impact on the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of an Influenza Reagent Resource User Agreement with the American Type Culture Collection to provide Metro Health's Bioterrorism and Influenza Surveillance Lab with reagents and testing supplies from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.