Risk Group 1:

Agents are Not associated with disease in healthy adult humans.

• Work is done on open bench tops and special containment equipment is not required
• Standard microbiological practices are observed
• Biohazard signs should be posted

• Escherichia coli; K12 derivatives (DH5α, JH109, pBluescript, psi2)
• baculovirus

Risk Group 2:

Agents are associated with human disease of mild to moderate severity.
There are often preventative or therapeutic interventions available.

(Low to Moderate Risk)

• All BSL-1 containment and practices plus the following:
• Laboratory access is restricted when experimental work is in progress
• Personnel have specific training in handling of agents
• Biological safety cabinets (BSC) or other physical ontainment devices are used for potential aerosol generation procedures
• Biohazard signs must be posted
• Specific PPE (personnel protective equipment) and entrance requirements.
  
  

• Adenovirus
• All human and non human primate blood-contanimated specimens
• All human and non-human primate cell lines
• Herpes Simplex Virus
• Rabies Virus
• Pseudorabies Virus
• Lentiviral vectors, such as:

> FIV

> 3rd generation HIV-1**

Risk Group 2
or
Risk Group 3 agents:

Protocol specific

(Moderate to High Risk)

• All BSL-2 facilities, containment and practices plus BSL-3 practices including:
• Restricted Laboratory access
• Personnel have specific training in handling of agents
• All procedures are performed in biological safety cabinets (BSC)
• Biohazard signs should be posted
• Written safety policies provided by the investigator defining laboratory procedures, waste disposal, disinfection and medical surveillance (Biosafety Operations Manual)
• Centrifuge safety cups must be used

• Lentiviral** vectors such as:

> SIV; proviral DNA

> HIV-1 infectious molecular clones

Risk Group 3:

Agents are associated with serious or lethal human disease for which preventitive or therapeutic interventions MAY be available.

(Moderate to High Risk)

• All BSL-2 containment and practices plus the following:
• Specific facility design parameters must be followed, including requirements for location, ventilation, room integrity and security.
• Facility must be commissioned according to Universith of Pittsburgh BSL-3/ABSL-3 commissioning processes.

• M. tuberculosis
• Concentrated Lentivirus or Lentiviral vectors with high likelihood of aerosol formation.
• Respiratory illness or airborne transmissibility

Risk Group 4:

Agents are likely to cause serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are NOT USUALLY available.

(Extreme Risk)

• NO current facilities exist to accomodate risk group 4 agents at the University of Pittsburgh

• None; no current usage of this risk group classification at the University of Pittsburgh.