Features of Keeping Laboratory Animals Infected with Pathogenic Biological Agents, Pathogenicity Group I–II, under Experiment

Despite the advances made in the fight against infectious diseases, the incidence rate in the world remains high. The use of infected laboratory animals is an integral part of performing experimental and industrial biomedical research using pathogenic biological agents (PBA) I–II. It requires a sensible unified approach to meeting biological safety rules. The main criterion of the national security system in the Russian Federation is adherence to biological safety practices. In modern conditions, when working with biological test systems infected with microorganisms of I–II pathogenicity groups, special attention is paid to biological safety. During the process of caring for infected animals, biological hazard levels increase significantly, the risk of infection of personnel and environmental contamination escalates. The main document regulating the activities of legal entities associated with pathogens of particularly dangerous infections in the Russian Federation is SanPiN 3.3686–21 “Sanitary-epidemiological requirements for the prevention of infectious diseases.” Specialized laboratories (vivaria) carrying out various types of work with pathogenic agents of pathogenicity groups I–II must meet the requirements for isolated laboratories of BSL 3 and obtain a sanitary-epidemiological certificate on the possibility of conducting certain type of work, and the organization of affiliation — a license for this type of activity. Primary and secondary barriers to protect personnel working with infected biological test systems play an important role in the implementation of biological safety principles. But professionally trained employees who have experience, knowledge, and skills for handling laboratory animals infected with particularly dangerous infections also benefit to significant reduction of risk of infection.