{"id":4125,"date":"2017-03-15T18:02:46","date_gmt":"2017-03-15T23:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/?page_id=4125"},"modified":"2023-06-07T08:12:19","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T13:12:19","slug":"risk-groups-biosafety-levels","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/risk-groups-biosafety-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Risk Groups; Biosafety Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-modular-content-collection><h6>Risk Groups<\/h6>\n<p>Biological agents that are known to infect humans are classified according to Risk Groups (RG), with RG1 as\u00a0the\u00a0lowest\/least harmful and RG4 as\u00a0the highest.<\/p>\n<span class=\"collapseomatic arrowleft\" id=\"id69e4e4f8b0415\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"&lt;strong&gt;Risk Group Definitions&lt;\/strong&gt;\"    ><strong>Risk Group Definitions<\/strong><\/span><div id=\"target-id69e4e4f8b0415\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>RG1 Agents<\/strong> \u2013 Are not associated with disease in healthy adult humans or animals.<\/li>\n<li><strong>RG2 Agents<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Are associated with disease that can cause\u00a0infection of varying severity; rarely lethal. \u00a0Host immune system is usually capable of controlling the infection; preventative or therapeutic interventions are\u00a0often\u00a0available.<\/li>\n<li><strong>RG3 Agents<\/strong> \u2013 Are associated with serious or lethal human disease for which preventative or therapeutic interventions <em>may<\/em> be available (high individual risk but low community risk).<\/li>\n<li><strong>RG4 Agents<\/strong> \u2013 Are associated with lethal human disease for which preventative or therapeutic interventions <em>are not usually<\/em>\u00a0available (high individual risk and\u00a0high community risk).<\/li>\n<li>The Risk Group\u00a0Classification System takes\u00a0the following factors into consideration:\n<ul>\n<li>Pathogenicity of the organism<\/li>\n<li>Mode of transmission and host range<\/li>\n<li>Availability of effective preventive measures (e.g., vaccines)<\/li>\n<li>Availability of effective treatment (e.g., antibiotics)<\/li>\n<li>Other factors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><br class=\"none\" \/><span class=\"collapseomatic arrowleft\" id=\"id69e4e4f8b0505\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"&lt;strong&gt;Risk Group Comparisons&lt;\/strong&gt;\"    ><strong>Risk Group Comparisons<\/strong><\/span><div id=\"target-id69e4e4f8b0505\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<div>\n<table class=\"border zebra\" border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"1\" cellpadding=\"1\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"even\">\n<th scope=\"row\"><\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">RISK GROUP 1<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">RISK GROUP 2<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">RISK GROUP 3<\/th>\n<th scope=\"col\">RISK GROUP 4<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"odd\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Characteristics<\/th>\n<td>\n<div>Does not cause disease in healthy adults.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>Can cause infection of varying severity. Rarely lethal. Can be controlled using standard laboratory practices.<\/td>\n<td>Agents associated with moderate to severe disease outcome. Can be lethal.<\/td>\n<td>Capable of causing severe disease with lethal outcome.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"even\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Availability of Treatment<\/th>\n<td>Not applicable.<\/td>\n<td>Treatment may be\u00a0 available or host immune system is capable of controlling the infection.<\/td>\n<td>Treatment may not be available.<\/td>\n<td>Treatment is generally not available. Experimental treatment regimens possible.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"odd\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Routes of Transmission<\/th>\n<td>Not applicable.<\/td>\n<td>Ingestion, through the skin, and via facial mucous membranes.<\/td>\n<td>Same as Risk Group 2 plus inhalation.<\/td>\n<td>Same as Risk Group 3.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"even\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Disease Severity to Individual<\/th>\n<td>None in healthy adults.<\/td>\n<td>Low to moderate.<\/td>\n<td>\n<div>Moderate to high.<\/div>\n<div>Higher mortality and morbidity.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div>High.<\/div>\n<div>Highest mortality rates in this category.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"odd\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Community Risk<\/th>\n<td>Low<\/td>\n<td>Low<\/td>\n<td>Low to Moderate<\/td>\n<td>\n<div>High.<\/div>\n<div>Perception risk also very high.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"even\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Infections Dose<\/th>\n<td>Not applicable<\/td>\n<td>Generally high (variable)<\/td>\n<td>Lower doses capable of infection<\/td>\n<td>\n<div>Can be as low as<\/div>\n<div>1 organism<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"odd\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Example Agents<\/th>\n<td>Non-conjugative strains of E. coli,\u00a0 Sacchromyces cerevisiae.<\/td>\n<td>\n<div>Parasites (i.e. Plasmodium, Trypanosomes, Leishmania)<\/div>\n<div>GI pathogens (Salmonella, Shigella)<\/div>\n<div>Bloodborne Pathogens (HBV, HCV, Borrelia).<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>Mycobacterium tuberculosis, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever Virus, Rickettsia rickettsi.<\/td>\n<td>Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Sabia virus, Equine Morbillivirus.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"even\">\n<th scope=\"row\">Rule of Thumb**<\/th>\n<td>\n<div><strong>Don\u2019t Drink It!<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Never eat, drink or smoke in the laboratory.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Don\u2019t Touch It!<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Wear gloves, decontaminate work surfaces, avoid touching your face, make sure wounds are covered, work in a BSC, wear eye protection, work behind a shield.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Don\u2019t Breathe It!<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Because of inhalation risk, perform all work inside of a biosafety cabinet. Wear respiratory protection if needed.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Don\u2019t Do It! \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Risk Group 4 agents require significant containment.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div>Source: National Institutes of Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories<\/a>\u201d (5th Edition).<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>**Source: \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/quizlet.com\/161899032\/citi-biohazard-training-flash-cards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gwladys Caspar\u2019s Quick Guide<\/a>. \u00a0G. Caspar was formerly the Biosafety Officer at Harvard University.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<span class=\"collapseomatic arrowleft\" id=\"id69e4e4f8b0556\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"&lt;strong&gt;Risk Groups: Searchable Databases&lt;\/strong&gt;\"    ><strong>Risk Groups: Searchable Databases<\/strong><\/span><div id=\"target-id69e4e4f8b0556\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<div class=\"jwl_one_third\"><strong>NIH Risk Group Examples<br \/>\n<\/strong>\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/osp.od.nih.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/NIH_Guidelines.html#_Toc446948382\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RG2 Bacterial Agents including <em>Chlamydia<br \/>\n<\/em><\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/osp.od.nih.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/NIH_Guidelines.html#_Toc446948383\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RG2 Fungal Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/osp.od.nih.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/NIH_Guidelines.html#_Toc446948384\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RG2 Parasitic Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/osp.od.nih.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/NIH_Guidelines.html#_Toc446948385\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RG2 Viruses<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/osp.od.nih.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/NIH_Guidelines.html#_Toc446948386\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RG3 Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/osp.od.nih.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/NIH_Guidelines.html#_Toc446948391\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RG4 Agents<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"jwl_one_third\"><strong><a class=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/my.absa.org\/tiki-index.php?page=Riskgroups\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ABSA Risk Group Database<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jwl_one_third last\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.phac-aspc.gc.ca\/lab-bio\/res\/psds-ftss\/index-eng.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pathogen Safety Data Sheets<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"clearboth\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h6>Biosafety Levels<\/h6>\n<p>Biosafety Levels (BSLs) prescribe procedures and levels of containment for the particular microorganism or material (including research involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules). \u00a0BSLs\u00a0 are ranked\u00a0from 1-4, with BSL-1 procedures being suitable for working with\u00a0the\u00a0lowest\/least harmful biological agents. \u00a0They correlate with but do not equate to biosafety risk groups. \u00a0<strong>A risk assessment will determine the degree<\/strong> <strong>of correlation between an agent\u2019s risk group classification and biosafety level<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<span class=\"collapseomatic arrowleft\" id=\"id69e4e4f8b0627\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"&lt;strong&gt;BIOSAFETY LEVEL 1: Description &amp; Work Practices&lt;\/strong&gt;\"    ><strong>BIOSAFETY LEVEL 1: Description &amp; Work Practices<\/strong><\/span><div id=\"target-id69e4e4f8b0627\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<ul>\n<li>Suitable for work involving:\n<ul>\n<li>Well-characterized agents not known to consistently cause disease in immunocompetent adult humans, and that present minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment.<\/li>\n<li>Transgenic or wild-type laboratory animals (e.g., rodents) that are both:\n<ul>\n<li>Free of zoonotic diseases.<\/li>\n<li>Not infected with, implanted with, or containing RG2 or higher agents or materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Work is typically conducted on open bench tops using standard microbiological practices.<\/li>\n<li>Laboratory personnel must have specific training in the procedures conducted in the laboratory and must be supervised by a scientist with training in microbiology or a related science.<\/li>\n<li>Personal health status may impact an individual\u2019s susceptibility to infection, ability to receive immunizations or prophylactic interventions. \u00a0Individuals having these conditions should be encouraged to self-identify to the institution\u2019s healthcare provider for appropriate counseling and guidance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Standard Microbiological Practices<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Wash hands after handling viable materials, after removing gloves, and before leaving the laboratory.<\/li>\n<li>Wear pants (or other clothing that covers legs) and close-toed shoes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lab Coats.<\/strong>\u00a0 Are generally not necessary. \u00a0However, wear lab coat or other protective clothing when handling viable materials; remove protective clothing before leaving lab areas. \u00a0All protective clothing must be either disposed of in the laboratory or laundered by the work unit, it should never be taken home.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gloves.<\/strong> Wear gloves whenever contact with microorganisms could be reasonably anticipated and\/or whenever skin on hands is not intact \u2013 including if a rash is present. \u00a0Change gloves when contaminated, glove integrity is compromised\/suspect, or when otherwise necessary.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Goggles.<\/strong> \u00a0Wear chemical splash goggles\u00a0when conducting procedures that have the potential to create splashes of microorganisms or other hazardous materials.<\/li>\n<li>Keep laboratory doors closed; only individuals who are involved with the work are allowed in the area.<\/li>\n<li>Mouth pipetting is prohibited; mechanical pipetting devices must be used.<\/li>\n<li>Perform all procedures with a focus on\u00a0minimizing the creation of splashes and\/or aerosols.<\/li>\n<li>Food, eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses, applying cosmetics, and storing food for human consumption are not\u00a0permitted in laboratory areas (you don&#8217;t even want to be chewing gum in the lab!).<\/li>\n<li>Pay attention to hand and mouth hygiene while working in the lab (e.g., do not put a pen in you mouth, or behind your ear).<\/li>\n<li>Plants and animals not associated with the work being performed should not be permitted in the laboratory.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sharps<\/strong>. \u00a0Follow the policies and procedures\u00a0on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/sharps-safety\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sharps Safety page<\/a>, including:\n<ul>\n<li>Provide sharps containers within easy reach of work stations.<\/li>\n<li>Laboratory supervisors should adopt improved engineering and work practice controls that reduce risk of sharps injuries.<\/li>\n<li>Needles must not be bent, sheared, broken, recapped, removed from disposable syringes, or otherwise manipulated by hand before disposal.<\/li>\n<li>Broken glassware must not be handled directly. \u00a0Instead, it must be removed using a brush and dustpan, tongs, or forceps. \u00a0Plastic ware should be substituted for glassware whenever possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decontaminate:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Work surfaces after completion of work and after any spill or splash of potentially infectious material with appropriate disinfectant.<\/li>\n<li>All cultures, stocks, and other potentially infectious materials before disposal using an effective method. \u00a0Materials to be decontaminated outside of the immediate laboratory must be placed in a durable, leak proof container and secured for transport.<\/li>\n<li>Follow the appropriate\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/biological-spills-decontamination-clean-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">decontamination procedures<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>A sign incorporating the universal biohazard symbol must be posted at the entrance to the laboratory when infectious agents are present. \u00a0The sign must include the name and phone number of the laboratory supervisor or other responsible personnel, and may include the name of the agent(s) in use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><br class=\"none\" \/><span class=\"collapseomatic arrowleft\" id=\"id69e4e4f8b0672\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"&lt;strong&gt;BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2: Description &amp; Work Practices&lt;\/strong&gt;\"    ><strong>BIOSAFETY LEVEL 2: Description &amp; Work Practices<\/strong><\/span><div id=\"target-id69e4e4f8b0672\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<ul>\n<li>Suitable for work involving agents that pose moderate hazards to personnel and the environment. \u00a0<em>It is more restrictive than BSL-1. \u00a0It includes\u00a0all\u00a0BSL-1 practices plus the following:<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>All persons entering the laboratory must be advised of the potential hazards and meet specific entry\/exit requirements.<\/li>\n<li>Laboratory personnel have specific training in handling pathogenic agents and are supervised by scientists competent in handling infectious agents and associated procedures. \u00a0The laboratory supervisor must ensure that laboratory personnel demonstrate proficiency in standard and special microbiological practices before working with BSL-2 agents.<\/li>\n<li>Access to the laboratory is restricted when work is being conducted.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Protective Laboratory Coats<\/strong>, gowns, smocks, or uniforms designated for laboratory use must be worn while working with hazardous materials. \u00a0Remove protective clothing before leaving the laboratory. \u00a0Dispose of protective clothing appropriately, or deposit it for laundering by the institution. \u00a0It is recommended that laboratory clothing not be taken home.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gloves<\/strong> must be worn to protect hands from exposure to hazardous materials. \u00a0Glove selection should be based on an appropriate risk assessment. \u00a0Gloves must not be worn outside the laboratory. \u00a0In addition, BSL-2 laboratory workers should:\n<ul>\n<li>Change gloves when contaminated, glove integrity is compromised, or when otherwise necessary.<\/li>\n<li>Remove gloves and wash hands when work with hazardous materials has been completed and before leaving the laboratory.<\/li>\n<li>Do not wash or reuse disposable gloves. \u00a0Dispose of used gloves with other contaminated laboratory waste. \u00a0Hand washing protocols must be rigorously followed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Biosafety Cabinet. \u00a0<\/strong>All procedures in which infectious aerosols or splashes may be created are conducted in Biosafety Cabinets\u00a0or other physical containment equipment. \u00a0These may include pipetting, centrifuging, grinding, blending, shaking, mixing, sonicating, opening containers of infectious materials, inoculating animals intranasally, and harvesting infected tissues from animals or eggs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<span class=\"collapseomatic arrowleft\" id=\"id69e4e4f8b06b5\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"&lt;strong&gt;BIOSAFETY LEVELS: Online Searchable Databases for Various Pathogens&lt;\/strong&gt;\"    ><strong>BIOSAFETY LEVELS: Online Searchable Databases for Various Pathogens<\/strong><\/span><div id=\"target-id69e4e4f8b06b5\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<div class=\"jwl_one_half\"><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.phac-aspc.gc.ca\/lab-bio\/res\/psds-ftss\/index-eng.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pathogen Safety Data Sheets<\/a><\/strong><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"jwl_one_half last\"><strong>BMBL Agent Summary Statements*<br \/>\n\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_a.pdf#x2013; A: Bacterial Agents &#091;PDF - 468 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bacterial Agents<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong>\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_b.pdf#x2013; B: Fungal Agents &#091;PDF - 304 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fungal Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_c.pdf#x2013; C: Parasitic Agents &#091;PDF - 339 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Parasitic Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_d.pdf#x2013; D: Rickettsial Agents &#091;PDF - 249 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rickettsial Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_e.pdf#x2013; E: Viral Agents &#091;PDF - 413 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Viral Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_f.pdf#x2013; F: Arboviruses and Related Zoonotic Viruses &#091;PDF - 665 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Arboviruses and Related Zoonotic Viruses<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_g.pdf#x2013; G: Toxin Agents &#091;PDF - 339 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\">Toxin Agents<br \/>\n<\/a>\u2022\u00a0<a class=\"tp-link-policy\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; color: #a66600; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_h.pdf#x2013; H: Prion Diseases &#091;PDF - 260 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Prion Diseases<\/a><\/div><div class=\"clearboth\"><\/div>\n<p><br class=\"none\" \/>*<strong>A Note on the BMBL Agent Summary Statements<\/strong>&#8221; \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/biosafety\/publications\/bmbl5\/bmbl5_sect_viii_a.pdf#x2013; A: Bacterial Agents &#091;PDF - 468 KB&#093;&lt;\/a&gt;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Section VIII\u00a0of the BMBL<\/a> provides Agent Summary Statements that <strong>describe the hazards, recommended precautions, and levels of containment appropriate for handling specific human and zoonotic pathogens in the laboratory and in facilities that house laboratory vertebrate animals<\/strong>. \u00a0Agent Summary Statements are included for agents that meet one or more of the following three criteria: 1) the agent is a proven hazard to laboratory personnel working with infectious materials; 2) the agent has a high potential for causing LAIs even though no documented cases exist; and 3) the agent causes grave disease or presents a significant public health hazard.<\/p>\n<p><em>Caveat: \u00a0<\/em>No one should conclude that the absence of an Agent Summary Statement for a human pathogen means that the agent is safe to handle at BSL-1, or without a risk assessment to determine the appropriate level of containment. \u00a0Laboratory Supervisors\u00a0should also conduct independent risk assessments before beginning work with an agent or procedure new to the laboratory, even though an agent summary statement is available.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- begin-migrated-from-panel-builder --><!-- end-migrated-from-panel-builder --><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Risk Groups Biological agents that are known to infect humans are classified according to Risk Groups (RG), with RG1 as\u00a0the\u00a0lowest\/least harmful and RG4 as\u00a0the highest. Biosafety Levels Biosafety Levels (BSLs) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4125","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4125"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5626,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4125\/revisions\/5626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/chemical-hygiene\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}