Brucella challenge safety consideration - (Feb/08/2014 )
Hello,
I am a Ph.D student and my thesis project is related to design a new Brucella vaccine candidate, I am going to do the protection (challenge) experiments using female BALB/C mice. I am going to challenge the specific groups of immunized mice with 2x104 CFU of B.melitensis 16M and 4x104 CFU of B.abortus 544 via i.p route. I would like to if any safety method should be considered about the mice keeping place. Are the aerosols of the mice urinations or the removed spleens of the challenged mice are infective to human?
Thanks
Brucella is safety level 3....Especially when doing animal studies.
Is there someone in your lab with experience when it comes to Brucella????
The fact that you need to come and ask here, makes me wonder about your lab and safety..........
Its even viewed as an organism for biological warfare.
Among significant lab infections, brucellosis is pretty common.
see: http://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/laboratories/index.html and http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf
Pito sure makes an excellent point. Is your facility even equipped for this effort (not just the BSL but the guidance)?.
Phil Geis on Sat Feb 8 12:01:02 2014 said:
Among significant lab infections, brucellosis is pretty common.
see: http://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/laboratories/index.html and http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf
Pito sure makes an excellent point. Is your facility even equipped for this effort (not just the BSL but the guidance)?.
We do have the safety cabinet level 3, but I am still worried about working with these bacteria!!
thanks for your tip and introducing the useful link.
Well, than you should have access to all the information! They should have a decent "plan" on how to work with those organisms... (unless its like, unfortunately, at many university labs where they dont really work how they should).e
Take your time to study the organism and the safty issues.
As said: its L3 and its seen as a potential pathogen than can cause serious problems, so better be extra carefull, use the right techniques and be strict about the protocol that take it too easy and risk getting sick.
pito on Sat Feb 8 19:39:29 2014 said:
Well, than you should have access to all the information! They should have a decent "plan" on how to work with those organisms... (unless its like, unfortunately, at many university labs where they dont really work how they should).e
Take your time to study the organism and the safty issues.
As said: its L3 and its seen as a potential pathogen than can cause serious problems, so better be extra carefull, use the right techniques and be strict about the protocol that take it too easy and risk getting sick.
Thank you very much for your valuable tips. I will definitely study and ask experts about the safety issues.