Laboratory Management of Agents Associated with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome: Interim Biosafety Guidelines

This report provides interim biosafety guidelines for preventing laboratory associated infections with agents that cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
The guidelines are based on extensive laboratory experience with the other
hantaviruses—particularly work involving the use of permissive host animal
species—and on the limited experience with a hantavirus recently isolated from
deer mice. The guidelines address handling patient-derived specimens, propagating viruses in culture (including viral concentrate preparations), and housing and handling infected animals. These recommendations were developed with the assistance of expert consultants during a meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Subcommittee on Arbovirus Laboratory Safety, November 2, 1993, in Atlanta.