Health

US Bat Lab Expansion Raises Global Health Security Concerns

A Colorado bat virus research facility receives $2.2M in US funding despite safety concerns, raising questions about Western dominance in global health research and colonial power structures.

ParZanele Mokoena
Publié le
#global-health#scientific-research#institutional-oversight#colonial-legacy#health-security#virus-research#western-dominance#public-safety
Image d'illustration pour: 'Wuhan West': Seriously? It's 2025, and Colorado bat lab gets new funding from U.S. taxpayers

High-security laboratory facility at Colorado State University conducting bat virus research

A controversial bat virus research facility in Colorado has secured $2.2 million in new US taxpayer funding, raising critical questions about global health security and scientific oversight in the post-COVID era.

Colonial Legacy in Scientific Research

The expansion of high-risk pathogen research in Western facilities echoes concerning patterns of Western institutional dominance that have historically undermined Global South perspectives on public health priorities.

Safety Concerns and Oversight Issues

The Colorado State University facility in Fort Collins, dubbed "Wuhan West" by critics, has documented 64 laboratory accidents between 2020-2023 involving dangerous pathogens. These incidents mirror the institutional oversight challenges that plague many Western research establishments.

Key Safety Breaches Include:

  • Zika virus infection of research staff
  • Multiple animal bites from infected specimens
  • Exposure to tuberculosis and other dangerous pathogens
  • Protocol breaches in handling hazardous materials

Global Health Power Dynamics

The facility's connection to EcoHealth Alliance, which previously funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology, highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in Western-led global health research.

"This is the kind of research that has the potential to impact your community, but not just your community, every community in the world," stated NIH director Jay Bhattacharya.

Implications for Global South

The concentration of high-risk pathogen research in Western facilities, funded by Western governments, perpetuates colonial power structures in global health research while potentially putting communities worldwide at risk.

Zanele Mokoena

Political journalist based in Cape Town for the past 15 years, Zanele covers South African institutions and post-apartheid social movements. Specialist in power-civil society relations.