Pandemic pathogen samples are shipped internationally via FedEx with biosafety packaging but no tracking of contents

BSL-3 and BSL-4 pathogen samples are routinely shipped between research institutions internationally using commercial carriers (FedEx, DHL) in UN3373-rated packaging. The carrier knows the package contains a biological substance but not which pathogen -- that information is on the shipper's documentation, not the carrier's manifest. A lost or diverted package containing H5N1, Ebola, or engineered pathogen samples would be indistinguishable from any other biological shipment until opened. This persists because the international shipping framework (IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations) classifies all infectious substances into two broad categories without requiring pathogen-specific tracking, and creating a real-time pathogen tracking system would require coordination between shippers, carriers, customs agencies, and receiving institutions across every country.