About EBSA12 - Course F. Biosafety in laboratory animal facilities

Instructors:
Kathrin Summermatter, Institute of Virology and Immunoprophylaxis, Mittelhäusern/Switzerland
Stéphane Karlen, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne/Switzerland
Jürgen Mertsching, Hannover Medical School, Hannover/Germany

Short description:
The first part of the workshop is dedicated to presentations on the basic principles of animal biosafety. An overview about safety measures (operational, work practices, equipment) that relate to small and large animals will be given, including a particular focus on risk assessment of both infected (e.g. animal models for human diseases) and genetically modified animals. Emphasis will be put on containment measures as well as on personal protective equipment.
In a second part the case study approach will be used to allow participants to work in smaller groups to recognize, to discuss and to assess the hazards and associated risks related to animal handling. Participants are invited to bring their own case studies or send their case studies in advance to Kathrin Summermatter.