Biological Agents with Potential to Cause Laboratory Acquired Infection (LAI) 

Biological agents deemed to have an increased potential to cause LAI are reviewed by the full IBC and added to the “Biological Agents with Potential to Cause Laboratory Acquired Infection (LAI)” list. The subcommittee also reviews agents proposed on IBC applications that are new to the University prior to approval of the associated IBC protocol. The Research Occupational Health Program (ROHP) provides all individuals listed on projects involving an LAI agent(s) with a special “High Hazard Agent” identification card. This card should be kept on the person and provided to medical care professionals to assist in evaluating for a potential LAI.

Biological Agents with Potential to Cause Laboratory Acquired Infection (LAI)

Revised 08/10/2023*

Virus:Batai VirusBSL‐2
Bombali Virus – RecombinantBSL-4
Bourbon VirusBSL-3
Brazilian Vaccinia VirusBSL-2
Bunyamwera VirusBSL-2
Cache Valley VirusBSL-2
Chikungunya VirusBSL-3
Coronavirus (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome [MERS-CoV])BSL-3
Coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome [SARS-CoV])BSL-3
Coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – 2 [SARS-CoV-2])BSL-3
Cowpox Brighton VirusBSL‐2
Coxsackievirus B3BSL-2
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever VirusBSL-4
Dengue VirusBSL-2
Eastern Equine Encephalitis VirusBSL-3
Ebola VirusBSL-4
Enterovirus D68BSL-2
Enterovirus 70BSL-2
Enterovirus 71BSL-2
Guanarito VirusBSL-4
Herpes B virus (including work with Non‐Human Primates and/or Non‐Human Primate Materials)BSL‐2
Heartland VirusBSL‐2
Hendra VirusBSL-4
HIVBSL-2
InfluenzaBSL‐2
Inkoo VirusBSL-2
Japanese Encephalitis VirusBSL-3
Jamestown Canyon VirusBSL-2
Junin VirusBSL-4
Keystone VirusBSL-2
La Cross virusBSL‐2
Lassa VirusBSL-4
Lloviu Virus – RecombinantBSL-4
Louping ill VirusBSL-3
Lujo VirusBSL-4
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis VirusBSL-2
Machupo VirusBSL-4
Marburg VirusBSL-4
Mayaro VirusBSL-2
Measles virusBSL‐2
Mengla Virus – RecombinantBSL-4
Mumps virusBSL‐2
Murray Valley Encephalitis VirusBSL-3
Newcastle disease virusBSL‐2
Nipah VirusBSL-4
Oropouche VirusBLS-2
Polio virusBSL‐2
Powassan VirusBSL-3
Rabies virus (including work with bats)BSL‐2
Rift Valley Fever VirusBSL-3
Sabia VirusBSL-4
Sin Nombre VirusBSL-3
Sindbis VirusBSL-2
Snowshoe Hare VirusBSL-2
St. Louis Encephalitis VirusBSL-3
Tahyna VirusBSL-2
Vaccinia virus (Western Reserve)BSL‐2
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis VirusBSL-3
Usutu VirusBSL-2
Wesselsbron VirusBSL-3
West Nile VirusBSL-3
Whitewater Arroyo VirusBSL-3
Yellow Fever VirusBSL-3
Zika VirusBSL-2
Bacteria:Burkholderia cepaciaBSL‐2
Chlamydia trachomatisBSL‐2
Clostridium difficileBSL-2
Escherichia coli (EHEC strain)BSL‐2
Francisella tularensisBSL‐3
Haemophilus influenzaeBSL‐2
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Pathogenic BSL‐3 strains)BSL‐3
Neisseria gonorrhoeaeBSL‐2
Neisseria meningitidisBSL‐2
Pseudomonas fluorescensBSL‐2
Salmonella typhimuriumBSL‐2
Vibrio cholerae Pacini (strain N16961)BSL‐2
Yersinia pestisBSL‐3
Parasites:Plasmodium falciparumBSL‐2
Acanthamoeba castellaniBSL‐2
Other categories:Pathogenic Prokaryotes with naturally acquired or lab introduced resistance markers (i.e. Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms or MDRO)BSL‐2
PrionsBSL‐2

*This list was determined by comparing IBC approved agents currently used at BU to literature review of documented LAI cases. All users of agents on this list will carry a card. This list will be routinely reviewed by the committee.

Selection Criteria for LAI agents:

  1. All BSL‐3 and higher agents
  2. Exotic or unlikely agents which clinicians may not recognize in LAI situation
  3. Severe human disease or death caused by the said agents
  4. Severe public or environment effects from release of the said agents

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