Biosafety Guidelines For Research On Genetically Modified ...

permitted in animal rooms. Personnel should wash their hands after handling
cultures and animals and before leaving the animal room.
7. Suitable protective clothing, gloves and footwear should be worn. It is further
recommended that such footwear and clothing not be worn in other areas.
Protection against inhalation of aerosols, scratches or bites should be considered.
8. Bedding material and waste from animal cages or pens used to house animals
infected with genetically modified organisms should be removed in such a manner
as to minimise the creation of aerosols. This material should be autoclaved before
removal from the animal containment unit.
9. Effective disinfectants must be available for immediate use.
10. Special attention should be paid to constraining animals during experiments. The
prevention of their escape must be ensured.
11. Animals or animal tissue transported in or out of the animal house must be carried
in closed containers. Animals involved in genetic manipulation experiments are not
to be used for other purposes or to provide tissue for other purposes.
12. Cultures, tissues, or specimens of body fluids are placed in a container that
prevents leakage during collection, handling, processing, storage, transport, or
shipping. Live animals or animal tissue taken from the animal house must only go
to another containment facility or be transferred to another organisation which has
suitable animal containment facilities. (See Section 5, or requirements regarding
the transfer of infectious materials.)
13. Carcasses of animals infected with genetically modified organisms must be
rendered safe by sterilisation before disposal.
14. Insect and rodent control measures must be taken.
15. All incidents, including animal bites and scratches as well as spills and accidents
which result in overt exposures to infectious materials are to be immediately
reported to and recorded by the person responsible for the work. Medical
evaluation, surveillance, and treatment are provided as appropriate and written
records are maintained.
16. If genetic manipulation experiments are conducted on invertebrates or aquatic
vertebrates, the following additional conditions apply:
(i)
(ii)
a mechanism should be provided to ensure that neither the organisms nor
their gametes can escape into the supply or discharge system of the rearing
container (e.g., tank or aquarium); the top of the rearing container should be
covered to avoid escape of organisms and their gametes;
in the case of invertebrates that crawl, jump or fly, manipulated and nonmanipulated
animals should be kept apart;
(iii) measures should be taken to enable escaped invertebrates to be detected
and recaptured or destroyed; for ticks and mites, containers should be kept
over trays filled with oil;
(iv)
(v)
all experimental cages/pens must be numbered and documented;
used culture vessels must be decontaminated before disposal or thoroughly
cleaned before reuse;
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