Select Agents and Toxins

The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, Subtitle A of Public Law 107–188 requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and regulate a list of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety. The Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish and regulate a list of biological agents that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal health and safety, plant health and safety, or to the safety of animal or plant products (Select Agents). CDC and APHIS share responsibility for some agents because they potentially threaten both humans and animals (overlap agents). The laws require HHS and USDA to review and republish the lists of Select Agents and toxins on at least a biennial basis.

This page includes links to the list of Select Agents and toxins and information about additions or deletions that have been made to the list based on recommendations made from the biennial review or advances in research.

Select Agents and Toxins List
Select Agents and Toxins Exclusions
Select Agents and Toxins Restricted Experiments
Permissible Toxin Amounts

Addition of Reconstructed 1918 Influenza virus to the list of HHS Select Agents and Toxins
(October 20, 2005)

HHS published an interim final rule (PDF 56KB) in the Federal Register on October 20, 2005 to add "Reconstructed replication competent forms of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus containing any portion of the coding regions of all eight gene segments" to the list of HHS Select Agents and toxins. The addition of the reconstructed 1918 pandemic influenza virus to the HHS Select Agents and toxins became effective on October 20, 2005.

The CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th edition includes information on the minimum containment for experiments involving this agent.

For more information on the biennial review of the lists of Select Agents and toxins, go to:

CDC Federal Register Notice (PDF 59KB)
APHIS Federal Register Notice (PDF 77KB)
CDC Technical Correction (PDF 49KB)
APHIS Technical Correction (PDF 44KB)
Summary of Changes to List of Select Agents and Toxins (PDF 23KB)
Q's and A's on Biennial Review of the List of Select Agents and Toxins (PDF 24KB)

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Select Agents and Toxins The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, Subtitle A of Public Law 107–188 requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish and regulate a list of biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety. The Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 requires the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish and regulate a list of biological agents that have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal health and safety, plant health and safety, or to the safety of animal or plant products (Select Agents). CDC and APHIS share responsibility for some agents because they potentially threaten both humans and animals (overlap agents). The laws require HHS and USDA to review and republish the lists of Select Agents and toxins on at least a biennial basis. This page includes links to the list of Select Agents and toxins and information about additions or deletions that have been made to the list based on recommendations made from the biennial review or advances in research. Select Agents and Toxins List Select Agents and Toxins Exclusions Select Agents and Toxins Restricted Experiments Permissible Toxin Amounts Addition of Reconstructed 1918 Influenza virus to the list of HHS Select Agents and Toxins (October 20, 2005) HHS published an interim final rule (PDF 56KB) in the Federal Register on October 20, 2005 to add "Reconstructed replication competent forms of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus containing any portion of the coding regions of all eight gene segments" to the list of HHS Select Agents and toxins. The addition of the reconstructed 1918 pandemic influenza virus to the HHS Select Agents and toxins became effective on October 20, 2005. The CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th edition includes information on the minimum containment for experiments involving this agent. For more information on the biennial review of the lists of Select Agents and toxins, go to: CDC Federal Register Notice (PDF 59KB) APHIS Federal Register Notice (PDF 77KB) CDC Technical Correction (PDF 49KB) APHIS Technical Correction (PDF 44KB) Summary of Changes to List of Select Agents and Toxins (PDF 23KB) Q's and A's on Biennial Review of the List of Select Agents and Toxins (PDF 24KB)	Change Text Size: A A A Print This Page
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