Biosafety Definitions

What are Regulated Materials?
Risk group 2 and above human and/or animal pathogens (as listed on ePATHogen database).

What are Regulated Animals?
Animals inoculated with regulated material as described above.

What is Primary Containment Caging?
Filtered containment caging that prevents release of regulated materials from regulated animals. Examples include ventilated filter-top cages and ventilated microisolator cage rack systems.

What is a Primary Containment Device?
Apparatus or equipment that provides a physical barrier between the regulated materials and the individual or the work environment to prevent the release of regulated materials. Examples include BSCs, isolators, centrifuges with sealable cups or rotors, process equipment & closed systems such as fermenters, bioreactors.

What is Small Animal Containment (SA)?
When primary containment caging and primary containment devices are always used, including for housing, during transfer from cages to BSCs, husbandry, inoculation, sample collection, surgeries, necropsies, and during any other procedures, its referred as Small Animal containment (SA). 

What is Large Animal Containment (CL2Ag)?
When the room itself serves as primary containment and animals (regardless of their size) are housed in open caging. In other words, primary containment caging and primary containment devices are not used at all times. Example, large-sized animals, such as livestock, are housed in cubicles, or small-sized animals, such as mice or rats, are housed in open caging or housed in ventilated cages but opened in outside of primary containment devices.