Author/Editor		Weidmann, Manfred; Avšič-Županc, Tatjana; Bino, Silvia; Bouloy, Michelle; Burt, Felicity J.; Chinikar, Sadegh; Christova, Iva; Dedushaj, Iusuf; El-Sanousi, Ahmed; Elaldi, Nazif
Title		Biosafety standards for working with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus
Type		članek
Vol. and No.		Letnik 97, št. 11
Publication year		2016
Volume		str. 2799-2808
ISSN		0022-1317 - The Journal of general virology
Language		eng
Abstract		In countries from which Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is absent, the causative virus, CCHF virus (CCHFV), is classified as a hazard group 4 agent and handled in containment level (CL)-4. In contrast, most endemic countries out of necessity have had to perform diagnostic tests under biosafety level (BSL)-2 or -3 conditions. In particular, Turkey and several of the Balkan countries have safely processed more than 100 000 samples over many years in BSL-2 laboratories. It is therefore advocated that biosafety requirements for CCHF diagnostic procedures should be revised, to allow the tests required to be performed under enhanced BSL-2 conditions with appropriate biosafety laboratory equipment and personal protective equipment used according to standardized protocols in the countries affected. Downgrading of CCHFV research work from CL-4, BSL-4 to CL-3, BSL-3 should also be considered.
Keywords		haemorrhagic fever diagnostic tests standardized protocols hemoragična mrzlica diagnostični testi standardizirani protokoli