Preparing for Ebolavirus disease: specimen collection, packaging and transport

Ebolavirus is classified by Standards Australia as a Risk Group 4 pathogen for handling in laboratories. Specimens known or reasonably expected to contain Ebolavirus are classified by the United Nations as Dangerous Goods Infectious Substances Category A, UN 2814, which if transported by air must comply with International Air Transport Association (IATA) Hazard Class 6.2 and Packing Instruction 620 and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Regulations. As such high risk pathogens are rarely encountered in pathology laboratories in Australia, the possibility of an imported case of Ebolavirus disease occurring in NSW during the current ongoing outbreak which began in West Africa in 2014 prompted a review and rapid implementation of specific risk management protocols for Ebolavirus testing. Here we describe and report on the management of specimen collection, packaging and transport by public and private pathology laboratories agreed by a task force led by NSW Health Pathology and Health Protection NSW.