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Volume 26, Number 11—November 2020
Research

Validated Methods for Removing Select Agent Samples from Biosafety Level 3 Laboratories

Alexandria E. Kesterson, John E. Craig, Lara J. Chuvala, and Henry S. HeineComments to Author 
Author affiliation: Author affiliation: University of Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA

Main Article

Table 1

Maximum bacterial concentrations of select agents in tissues of infected mice*

Agent (reference) Source of samples, bacterial load
Lung, per g Cell pellet, per mL BAL Blood, per mL Overnight culture, per mL
Bacillus anthracis (5,6) <108 Not tested <104 108
Yersinia pestis (7) <1010 Not tested <106 109
Burkholderia mallei (8–11) <109† Not tested <104 109
Burkholderia pesudomallei (11,12) <108 105‡ <105 109
Francisella tularensis (13) 107 Not tested <105 109

*BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage.
†References (7) and (8) use a different strain of B. mallei 
‡Value determined through in-house testing of lung samples.

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References
  1. US Department of Health and Human Services. Biosafety in microbiological and biomedical laboratories, 5th ed. Washington (DC): The Department; 2009.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Guidance on the Inactivation or Removal of Select Agents or Toxins for Future Use. 2018 [cited 2019 Aug 4]. https://www.selectagents.gov/irg-intro.html
  3. US Government Accountability Office. Actions Needed to Improve Management of DOD's Biosafety and Biosecurity Program. 2018 [cited 2019 Aug 4]. https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-422
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Page updated: October 17, 2020
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The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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