BIOTERRORISM / CHEMICAL TERRORISM PROCEDURES

Please Note:

These documents fall outside of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory document control system; subsequent updates or changes made on this website will not automatically be forwarded to your facility.

Sound laboratory practice requires that each laboratory establish full characterization of an assay before its use for patient testing at their site.  The laboratory implementing this assay assumes liability.

Click HERE for Select Agent Information

Click HERE for Chemical Terrorism Procedures (or scroll down)

Click HERE for the BMBL

Bioterrorism

For Questions Contact:

Tony Sambol                                                 

Phone: 402-559-3032                                 

Pager: 402-888-5588                                   

Cell: 402-203-8498

The following American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Sentinel Laboratory procedures should be used to "rule-out or refer" (ROAR) suspicious organisms.

Bacillus anthracis  

Clostridium botulinum 

Brucella spp. 

Yersinia pestis  

Francisella tularensis

Burkholderia mallei/Burkholderia pseudomallei

The following American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Sentinel Laboratory procedures can be used if suspicious organisms are suspected. 

Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B

Sentinel laboratories should not attempt to perform toxin analysis.

         

Unknown Viruses

If a smallpox virus, filovirus, arenavirus, alphavirus, or Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus infection is suspected, contact public health officials before specimen collection.  DO NOT collect specimens and use viral transport medium unless specifically requested by public health officials.  DO NOT accept environmental or animal specimens.    

                 

Coxiella burnetii

Level-A (Sentinel) laboratories should not attempt to culture this organism.  Contact public health officials if Coxiella burnetii is suspected.

The following American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Sentinel Laboratory guidelines can be used if Avian Influenza A H5N1 is suspected. 

Sentinel Laboratory Guideline for Avian Influenza A H5N1

Protocols for other biologic agents can be located by clicking here. 

Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories  (BMBL) 5th Edition

This edition of the BMBL continues to specifically describe combinations of microbiological practices, laboratory facilities, and safety equipment, and to recommend their use in four categories or biosafety levels of laboratory operation with selected agents infectious to humans.

Downloadable (PDF) Version

To download the new Bioterrorism Poster in PDF format click HERE (3.6 MB file).

Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) Laboratory Biosafety Compliance Checklist

Select Agent Information

• Click HERE for the latest Select Agent list from the CDC.

• Click HERE for the latest information from CDC regarding the Select Agent rule.

• Click the following links to get documents concerning reporting and transferring Select Agents.

• Form 4 - Guidance Document for Reporting the Identification of a Select Agent or Toxin in a Clinical or Diagnostic Laboratory

 

• Form 2 - Guidance Document for Report of Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins

• Fall 2006 NPHL newsletter article Reporting the Identification of a Select Agent or Toxin in a Clinical or Diagnostic Laboratory: Revised APHIS/CDC Form 4 by Dr. Peter Iwen, Associate Director, NPHL.

Chemical Terrorism

For Questions Contact:

Tony Sambol                                                 

Phone: 402-559-3032                     

Pager: 402-888-5588                                 

Cell: 402-203-8498

Flowchart: Chemical Terrorism Event Specimen Collection

This is a one-page document containing directions and visual representations for use in collecting blood and urine specimens from potentially exposed individuals.

Shipping Instructions for Samples Collected From People Potentially Exposed to Chemical Terrorism Agents

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shipping instructions for specimens collected from people who may have been exposed to chemical terrorism agents.

Chain of Custody Form for Blood Samples              Chain of Custody Form for Urine Samples

  Fill out one form for each patient collection

Chain of Custody Form Instructions

Shipping Manifest for Blood Samples

Submit one per box sent.

Shipping Manifest for Urine Samples

Submit one per box sent.

Detailed Packaging Instructions for Blood Specimens

This is a one-page document containing photographs, and related text, of the required steps necessary for packaging and shipping blood specimens to CDC.

Biological Substance Category B Packaging Drop/Pressure Test Certificate for NPHL Provided Blood Tube Packaging

Detailed Packaging Instructions for Urine Specimens

This is a one-page document containing photographs, and related text, of the required steps necessary for packaging and shipping urine specimens to CDC.

Biological Substance Category B Packaging Drop/Pressure Test Certificate for NPHL Provided Urine Cup Packaging

Descriptions of Chemical Agents from the CDC can be found HERE*.

To download the new Chemical Terrorism Poster in PDF format click HERE (3.3 MB file).

*Web link to the CDC.

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