Veterinary Safety & Health: Biological Safety
- Overview of biological safety
- Allergens
- Anthrax
- Avian influenza
- B Virus
- Biosecurity
- Brucellosis
- Laboratory Safety
- Leptospirosis
- Medical Water
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- One Health
- Parasites
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Psittacosis and Chlamydiosis
- Rabies
- Standard Precautions
- Swine Influenza
- Tuberculosis
- Vector-Borne Diseases
- Waste Disposal
- Zoonoses

Biological Safety
Veterinary medicine and animal care workers are at risk of exposure to zoonoses, infectious diseases that spread from animals to humans. Possible routes of transmission include aerosol, droplet spray, ingestion (oral), direct contact, indirect contact (e.g., fomite), or vector-borne. Sources of exposure include animals, body fluids, contaminated tools, surfaces, or other objects in the environment.
Approximately 60% of the more than 1400 human pathogens are zoonotic. About 75% of emerging pathogens are zoonotic. Zoonoses reported in veterinary personnel include salmonellosis, cryptosporidiosis, plague, sporotrichosis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), psittacosis, dermatophytosis, leptospirosis, and Q fever. Other zoonoses of veterinary concern include rabies and toxoplasmosis.
Overview of biological safety
NASPHV Veterinary Standard Precautions Compendiumpdf iconexternal icon
NASPHV Model Infection Control Plan for Veterinary Practicesword iconexternal icon
CDC Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
CDC Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories
CDC Healthy Pets Healthy People
NIOSH Eye Protection for Infection Control
AVMA Veterinary Facility Occupational Risks for Pregnant Workersexternal icon
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University: Infection Controlexternal icon
Rabinowitz P, Conti L [2010]. Human-animal medicine: clinical approaches to zoonoses, toxicants and other shared health risks. Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders.
Allergens
NIOSH Alert: Preventing Asthma in Animal Handlers
Anthrax
Avian influenza
NIOSH Alert: Protecting Poultry Workers from Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)pdf icon
B Virus
NIOSH Hazard ID 5 – Cerpopithecine herpesvirus 1 (B Virus) Infection Resulting from Ocular Exposure
Biosecurity
USDA APHIS Biosecurityexternal icon
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University: Infection Controlexternal icon
National Biosecurity Resource Center for Animal Health Emergenciesexternal icon
USDA/U Nebraska/Kansas State/Iowa State Farm and Ranch Biosecurityexternal icon
National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense Resource Libraryexternal icon
Australia National Zoo Biosecurity Manual March 2011pdf iconexternal icon
Brucellosis
CDC Brucellosis Information for Veterinarians
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University: Brucellosisexternal icon
Laboratory Safety
CDC Guidelines for Safe Work Practices in Human and Animal Medical Diagnostic Laboratories
CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th edition
OSHA Laboratory Safety – Working with Small Animalspdf iconexternal icon
Leptospirosis
Medical Water
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
OSHA MRSA Hospital eToolexternal icon
One Health
One Health Initiativeexternal icon
Florida Dept of Health One Health Newsletterexternal icon
AVMA Aardvarks2Zebras: Connections between humans, animals and the environmentexternal icon
Yale University School of Medicine Canary Databaseexternal icon
Parasites
Companion Animal Parasite Councilexternal icon
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
NIOSH Personal Protective Equipment for Health Care Workers Who Work with Hazardous Drugs
NIOSH Respirator Selection Logic 2004
Psittacosis and Chlamydiosis
NASPHV Psittacosis and Chlamydiosisexternal icon
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University: Psittacosispdf iconexternal icon
Rabies
CDC Rabies Information for Veterinarians
NASPHV Animal Rabies Compendiumpdf iconexternal icon
AVMA Collections: Rabiesexternal icon
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University: Rabiespdf iconexternal icon
Standard Precautions
Swine Influenza
CDC Information for Pork Producers and People Who Work With or Raise Pigs
CDC Guidance Documents Related to Preventing the Spread of Influenza A Viruses
Tuberculosis
USDA Tuberculosis Informationexternal icon
USDA APHIS Guidelines for the Control of Tuberculosis in Elephants 2008pdf iconexternal icon
NIOSH Tuberculosis Information
CDC EID Journal Article: Elephant-to-Human Transmission of Tuberculosis, 2009
Vector-Borne Diseases
Waste Disposal
AVMA Waste Disposal by Veterinary Practices: What Goes Where?external icon
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences Veterinary Compliance Assistanceexternal icon
Zoonoses
AVMA Collections: Zoonosis Updatesexternal icon
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University: Infection Controlexternal icon
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University: Zoonoses Informationexternal icon
University of Minnesota Center for Animal Health and Food Safety Fact Sheetsexternal icon
U.S. Marine Mammal Commission Working with Marine Mammals and Your Healthpdf iconexternal icon
National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense Resource Libraryexternal icon