List of biosafety level 4 organisms
US Federal Biocontainment Regulations
Biosafety level 4 laboratories are designed for diagnostic work and research on easily respiratory-acquired viruses which can often cause severe and/or fatal disease. What follows is a list of select agents that have specific biocontainment requirements according to US federal law. Organisms include those harmful to human health, to animal health, or to plant health.[1] The Plant Protection and Quarantine programs (PPQ) of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are listed in 7 CFR Part 331. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lists are located at 42 CFR Part 73.3[2] and 42 CFR Part 73.4.[3] The USDA animal safety list is located at 9 CFR Subchapter B.[4]
Not all select agents require BSL4 handling, namely select bacteria and toxins, but most select agent viruses do (with the notable exception of SARS-CoV-1 which can be handled in BSL3). Many non-select agent viruses are often handled in BSL4 according to facility SOPs or when dealing with new viruses closely related to viruses that require BSL4. For instance, Andes orthohantavirus and MERS-CoV are both non-select agents that are often handled in BSL4 because they cause severe and fatal disease in humans. Newly characterized viruses closely related to select agents and/or BSL4 viruses (for example newly discovered henipaviruses or ebolaviruses) are typically handled in BSL4 even if they aren't yet known to be readily transmissible or cause severe disease.
International BSL4 Regulations
Globally, there are no official agreements on what agents must be handled in BSL4. However, select agents and toxins originating or ending in US BSL4 labs must adhere to US select agent laws.
Select agents
HHS human threats: select agents and toxins
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever orthonairovirus
- Eastern equine encephalitis virus
- Ebolavirus
- Lassa mammarenavirus
- Lujo mammarenavirus
- Marburg virus
- Monkeypox virus
- Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus
- Chapare mammarenavirus
- Guanarito mammarenavirus
- Argentinian mammarenavirus (formerly Junín virus)
- Machupo mammarenavirus
- Brazilian mammarenavirus (formerly Sabiá mammarenavirus)
- Far Eastern subtype Flavivirus
- Siberian subtype Flavivirus
- Kyasanur Forest disease virus
- Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus
- Variola virus (Smallpox virus)
- Variola virus minor (Alastrim)
HHS human or animal threats: select agents and toxins
USDA select agents and toxins
- African horse sickness virus
- African swine fever virus
- Avian influenza virus
- Pestivirus C (formerly Classical swine fever virus)
- Foot-and-mouth disease virus
- Goatpox virus
- Lumpy skin disease virus
- Avian avulavirus 1 (formerly Newcastle disease virus)
- Small ruminant morbillivirus (formerly peste des petits ruminants virus)
- Rinderpest morbillivirus
- Sheeppox virus
- Swine vesicular disease virus
References
- "Select agents and toxins list". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- "42 CFR § 73.3 - HHS select agents and toxins". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- "42 CFR § 73.4 - Overlap select agents and toxins". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- "9 CFR Subchapter B - COOPERATIVE CONTROL AND ERADICATION OF LIVESTOCK OR POULTRY DISEASES". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 21 August 2019.