BSL3 upgrading for Live-attenuated poliovirus testing

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Investigator: Raul Andino-Pavlovsky, PhD
Sponsor: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Location(s): United States

Description

The Post-Global Eradication phase of polio virus research will begin one year after detection of the last wild poliovirus anywhere in the world, at which time the probability is high that all human transmission has ceased. All laboratories possessing wild poliovirus infectious materials or potentially infectious materials must elect one or more of the following three options: 

1) Implement containment (BSL-3/polio) procedures, or 
2) transfer wild poliovirus infectious and potentially infectious materials to WHO designated repositories, or 
3) render such materials non-infectious, or destroy them, under appropriate conditions. 
All biosafety actions are to be implemented and documented as complete before global certification of polio eradication can be considered.