Working in Biosafety Level 3 and 4 Laboratories: A Practical Introduction

The first training manual for new staff working in BSL3/4 labs.

This guide is based on a course developed in 2007 by the EU COST action group 28b which serves as a standard for many courses BSL3/4 training courses worldwide. The four-day course consists of lectures and practical training with the lecturers covering all the different possibilities of organising a BSL-3/4 lab including the adaptation to the local requirements of biosafety, safety at work, and social regulations.

This book covers bio-containment, hazard criteria and categorisation of microbes, technical specifications of BSL-3 laboratories and ABSL-3 laboratories, personal protective gear, shipping BSL-3 and BSL-4 organisms according to UN and IATA regulations, efficacy of inactivation procedures, fumigation, learning from a history of lab accidents, handling samples that arrive for diagnostic testing and bridging the gap between the requirements of bio-containment and diagnostics. Course participants can not only use the book for their actual training event but it will remain a useful reference throughout their career in BSL3/4 labs.

Mandy C. Elschner is a researcher at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany. She leads the working group "BSL 3-agents" and is the head of the Reference Laboratories for Glanders and Anthrax. She obtained her academic degree at the University of Leipzig and authored and co-authored in 25 national and international publications.

Patrick Butaye is a senior researcher active at the Veterinary and Agrochemical Research center and a professor at the University of Ghent, Faculty of Veterinary medicine. He obtained his academic degrees at the University of Ghent. He authored and co-authored in more than 70 international scientific publications.

Manfred Weidmann is a senior scientist at the Department of Virology of the University Medical Center Gottingen Germany. He obtained his degree from the Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz working on the pathogenesis of Clostridium difficille. Ever since he has worked on developing rapid diagnostic tools for the detection of arboviruses and haemorrhagic fever viruses in cooperation with partners from third world countries. He obtained the 2003 Abbot Diagnostic Award. He authored and co-authored 28 international scientific publications.

Nigel Silman is the Strategic Coordinator for Research & Development at the Health Protection Agencys' Centre for Emergency Preparedness & Response at Porton Down in the UK. He is the HPA research lead for Diagnostics and Detection and also responsible for the scientific overview of specialist reference and contract microbiology services for a range of exotic & emerging infectious diseases. He has authored and co-authored 26 international scientific publications.