Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents and Infected Animals
IPR, BIOSAFETY & BIOETHICS
RECOMMENDED BIOSAFETY LEVELS FOR INFECTIOUS AGENTS AND INFECTED ANIMALS
Submitted By
PARIDHI SINGHAL
MT/BT/1001/2010
Department of Biotechnology
RECOMMENDED BIOSAFETY LEVELS FOR INFECTIOUS AGENTS AND INFECTED ANIMALS
INTRODUCTION
CDC describes four biosafety levels (BSLs) which consist of combinations of laboratory practices and techniques, safety equipment, and laboratory facilities. Each combination is specifically appropriate for the operations performed, the documented or suspected routes of transmission of the infectious agents, and for the laboratory function or activity. The recommended biosafety level for an organism represents the conditions under which the agent can be ordinarily handled safely. When specific information is available to suggest that virulence, pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance patterns, vaccine and treatment availability, or other factors are significantly altered, more (or less) stringent practices may be specified.
Biological Safety Level 1 (BSL-1) -- is appropriate for work done with defined and characterized strains of viable microorganisms not known to cause disease in healthy adult humans. It represents a basic level of containment that relies on standard microbiological practices with no special primary or secondary barriers recommended, other than a sink for hand washing. Biological Safety Level 2 (BSL-2) -- is applicable to work done with a broad spectrum of indigenous moderate-risk agents present in the community and associated with human disease of varying severity. Agents can be used safely on the open bench, provided the potential for producing splashes or aerosols is low. Primary hazards to personnel working with these agents relate to accidental percutaneous or mucous membrane exposures or ingestion of infectious materials. Procedures with high aerosol or splash potential must be conducted in primary containment equipment such as biosafety cabinets. Primary barriers such as
RECOMMENDED BIOSAFETY LEVELS FOR INFECTIOUS AGENTS AND INFECTED ANIMALS
Submitted By
PARIDHI SINGHAL
MT/BT/1001/2010
Department of Biotechnology
RECOMMENDED BIOSAFETY LEVELS FOR INFECTIOUS AGENTS AND INFECTED ANIMALS
INTRODUCTION
CDC describes four biosafety levels (BSLs) which consist of combinations of laboratory practices and techniques, safety equipment, and laboratory facilities. Each combination is specifically appropriate for the operations performed, the documented or suspected routes of transmission of the infectious agents, and for the laboratory function or activity. The recommended biosafety level for an organism represents the conditions under which the agent can be ordinarily handled safely. When specific information is available to suggest that virulence, pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance patterns, vaccine and treatment availability, or other factors are significantly altered, more (or less) stringent practices may be specified.
Biological Safety Level 1 (BSL-1) -- is appropriate for work done with defined and characterized strains of viable microorganisms not known to cause disease in healthy adult humans. It represents a basic level of containment that relies on standard microbiological practices with no special primary or secondary barriers recommended, other than a sink for hand washing. Biological Safety Level 2 (BSL-2) -- is applicable to work done with a broad spectrum of indigenous moderate-risk agents present in the community and associated with human disease of varying severity. Agents can be used safely on the open bench, provided the potential for producing splashes or aerosols is low. Primary hazards to personnel working with these agents relate to accidental percutaneous or mucous membrane exposures or ingestion of infectious materials. Procedures with high aerosol or splash potential must be conducted in primary containment equipment such as biosafety cabinets. Primary barriers such as