DEFINITION OF BIOHAZARDS AND POTENTIALLY INFECTIOUS MATERIALS

Biohazards are infectious agents or biologically derived infectious material, which presents or may present a risk to the well being of a person or the community.

Categories of biohazards or potentially infectious materials:

• Human, animal and plant pathogens
  

  	Bacteria, including those with drug resistance
  	Plasmids
  	Fungi
  	Viruses, including oncogenic viruses
  	Parasites
  	Rickettsiae
  	Chlamydiae
  	Prions

• All human and animal blood, blood products, tissues, cells and body fluids
• Cultured cells and potentially infectious agents these cells may contain
• Toxins (bacterial, fungal, plant, etc.)
• Allergens
• Recombinant DNA and Synthetic Nucleic Acid Products
• Clinical, necropsy and surgical specimens (tissues, fluids, etc.)
• Infected animals and animal tissues