Dr. Murray said he did not find a definition for "etiologic 
agent" in the NIH Guidelines, and a definition would be necessary 
to effectively deal with any issues of mailability or 
transportation . 
Dr. Gellert said alternative shippers could be found but the 
price was the practical matter. If the Postal Service 
definitions are accepted, the rates for shipping could escalate 
if nothing is done about defining an "etiologic agent." 
Mr. Mannix said "etiologic agent" may cover too many things and 
that a differentiation must be made as to what types of products 
were actually being shipped. 
Dr. Davis said the concept and definitions of "etiologic agents" 
are being distorted in order to please the Postal Service or make 
it willing to accept these materials, and this is not the real 
issue. The issue is that much has been learned about recombinant 
DNA. The language in Appendix H does not reflect this accrued 
knowledge. If this is not corrected, it would reinforce the 
public myth that, "all bugs and germs are dangerous." 
Dr. Atlas said he thought it in the best interests of the 
scientific community to let the Postal Service finish formulating 
its policy on etiologic agents, and then it would be the 
responsibility of the community to educate the Postal Service as 
to which microbes are dangerous and which are not. The point 
then can be made that perhaps recombinant molecules are not 
"etiologic agents," in the same sense as some dangerous microbes 
or other materials. 
Dr. McGarrity cautioned the Committee that nothing could be done 
to effect changes in the NIH Guidelines at this meeting. A 
proper notice and Federal Register publication would be required 
before action could be taken. 
Dr. Musgrave said he agreed that proper labeling was the real 
issue. The concern of the Committee should be scientific 
evidence of danger and not issues of the transportation system. 
Dr. Sue Tolin, USDA, said she was disturbed by the Postal Service 
definition of "etiologic agent" as those agents that cause only 
diseases in humans and said she believed clarification was 
necessary to ensure that agents toxic to plants are somehow 
looked at as "etiologic agents." 
Dr. McKinney said he had spoken with Dr. McVicar of the Centers 
for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC is responsible for parts of 
the regulation dealing with shipment of etiologic agents and 
other biologic materials. Dr. McVicar informed him that CDC is 
in the process of writing definitions. This would afford the RAC 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 13 
[263] 
