Adherence to biosafety and biosecurity protocols: An assessment of biomedical and veterinary laboratories in Benin

Abstract

Diagnostic laboratories play a crucial role in surveillance and epidemic preparedness. However, gaps in adherence to biosecurity and biosafety protocols in managing, isolating, storing, and disposing of infectious pathogens in these facilities pose a serious risk to the laboratory, local populations, and the surrounding environment. In this study, we evaluated adherence to biosecurity and biosafety protocols in 96 public and private biomedical and veterinary laboratories in Benin to identify and address such gaps. We followed a cross-sectional study design. We used the Biosafety and Biosecurity in Laboratory Tool to assess biomedical laboratories and the Laboratory Mapping Tool to assess veterinary laboratories. Data were collected using KoBoCollect and analyzed with R software version 4.0.5. Descriptive analysis, the chi-squared test, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that most laboratories did not comply with established guidelines. Of all laboratories surveyed, 42% presented a very high risk, 38% a high risk, 15% moderate risk, and 5% were low risk. Overall, 80% of biomedical laboratories and 100% of veterinary laboratories were rated high risk. To improve effective biosecurity practices in laboratories in Benin to an acceptable standard, it is essential to implement robust biosecurity and biosafety policies. Additionally, capacity-building sessions should be conducted for laboratory staff and managers to educate them on the latest biosecurity protocols.