Sampling and Analytical Biological Screening on Letters and Parcels by the Italian Department of Firefighters Public Rescue and Civil Defense National Fire Corps: The Experience of CBRN Advanced Team of Venice for the Realization of Standard Procedures

Abstract

The Italian Fire Department has the obligation of intervention and first response in case of release of suspected biological aggressive organisms and substances and is therefore equipped with biological laboratories and scientific instruments for the first analytical response in order to exclude the presence of some pathogens and biological toxins. The first response is integrated with other analytical responses performed also by external laboratories with several analytical techniques. The experience gained since 2001 revealed certain recurring issues and criticalities. The greatest part of the suspected biological samples comes from the postal network and often the operators, the employees, or the recipient who comes in contact with the suspected biological substance, determining a series of no less important problems than those of sampling and analysis. Fundamental are the relationships with the other involved public institutions such as the postal service, the healthcare service, the police, and the judiciary, for a better coordination in the mutual respect of established competencies. The postal circuit monitoring is a worldwide problem that is getting worse with the e-commerce spread. The present work is structured to suggest useful ideas to share with other public and private involved institutions.