In 1978, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) completed construction of a new hot lab facility to provide a safe work environment for scientists handling dangerous infectious viruses, such as Ebola and Marburg. CDC teams help respond to natural and man-made disasters around the globe.

High containment biological laboratories (HCBL) are required for work on Risk Group 3 and 4 agents across the spectrum of basic, applied, and translational research. There are now over 50 BSL-4 laboratories and numerous BSL-3 laboratories worldwide.