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 Virus | BSL‐2 |
Bombali Virus – Recombinant | BSL-4 | |
Bourbon Virus | BSL-3 | |
Brazilian Vaccinia Virus | BSL-2 | |
Bunyamwera Virus | BSL-2 | |
Cache Valley Virus | BSL-2 | |
Chikungunya Virus | BSL-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 Virus | BSL‐2 | |
Coxsackievirus B3 | BSL-2 | |
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus | BSL-4 | |
Dengue Virus | BSL-2 | |
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus | BSL-3 | |
Ebola Virus | BSL-4 | |
Enterovirus D68 | BSL-2 | |
Enterovirus 70 | BSL-2 | |
Enterovirus 71 | BSL-2 | |
Guanarito Virus | BSL-4 | |
Herpes B virus (including work with Non‐Human Primates and/or Non‐Human Primate Materials) | BSL‐2 | |
Heartland Virus | BSL‐2 | |
Hendra Virus | BSL-4 | |
HIV | BSL-2 | |
Influenza | BSL‐2 | |
Inkoo Virus | BSL-2 | |
Japanese Encephalitis Virus | BSL-3 | |
Jamestown Canyon Virus | BSL-2 | |
Junin Virus | BSL-4 | |
Keystone Virus | BSL-2 | |
La Cross virus | BSL‐2 | |
Lassa Virus | BSL-4 | |
Lloviu Virus – Recombinant | BSL-4 | |
Louping ill Virus | BSL-3 | |
Lujo Virus | BSL-4 | |
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus | BSL-2 | |
Machupo Virus | BSL-4 | |
Marburg Virus | BSL-4 | |
Mayaro Virus | BSL-2 | |
Measles virus | BSL‐2 | |
Mengla Virus – Recombinant | BSL-4 | |
Mumps virus | BSL‐2 | |
Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus | BSL-3 | |
Newcastle disease virus | BSL‐2 | |
Nipah Virus | BSL-4 | |
Oropouche Virus | BLS-2 | |
Polio virus | BSL‐2 | |
Powassan Virus | BSL-3 | |
Rabies virus (including work with bats) | BSL‐2 | |
Rift Valley Fever Virus | BSL-3 | |
Sabia Virus | BSL-4 | |
Sin Nombre Virus | BSL-3 | |
Sindbis Virus | BSL-2 | |
Snowshoe Hare Virus | BSL-2 | |
St. Louis Encephalitis Virus | BSL-3 | |
Tahyna Virus | BSL-2 | |
Vaccinia virus (Western Reserve) | BSL‐2 | |
Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus | BSL-3 | |
Usutu Virus | BSL-2 | |
Wesselsbron Virus | BSL-3 | |
West Nile Virus | BSL-3 | |
Whitewater Arroyo Virus | BSL-3 | |
Yellow Fever Virus | BSL-3 | |
Zika Virus | BSL-2 | |
Bacteria: | Burkholderia cepacia | BSL‐2 |
Chlamydia trachomatis | BSL‐2 | |
Clostridium difficile | BSL-2 | |
Escherichia coli (EHEC strain) | BSL‐2 | |
Francisella tularensis | BSL‐3 | |
Haemophilus influenzae | BSL‐2 | |
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Pathogenic BSL‐3 strains) | BSL‐3 | |
Neisseria gonorrhoeae | BSL‐2 | |
Neisseria meningitidis | BSL‐2 | |
Pseudomonas fluorescens | BSL‐2 | |
Salmonella typhimurium | BSL‐2 | |
Vibrio cholerae Pacini (strain N16961) | BSL‐2 | |
Yersinia pestis | BSL‐3 | |
Parasites: | Plasmodium falciparum | BSL‐2 |
Acanthamoeba castellani | BSL‐2 | |
Other categories: | Pathogenic Prokaryotes with naturally acquired or lab introduced resistance markers (i.e. Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms or MDRO) | BSL‐2 |
Prions | BSL‐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:
- All BSL‐3 and higher agents
- Exotic or unlikely agents which clinicians may not recognize in LAI situation
- Severe human disease or death caused by the said agents
- Severe public or environment effects from release of the said agents