Medical specimens must be packed, labelled and shipped following legal provisions and requirements of the carrier. The primary vessel (mostly blood containers) and the secondary packaging must be liquid-tight, and the space between primary vessel and secondary packaging must contain sufficient absorption material.
Category A classifies specimens suspected to contain life-threatening pathogens (Biological Risk Group 4, e.g. Haemorrhagic Fever Viruses). They are assigned UN Code 2814 „Contagious Substance, Hazardous to Humans“. They must be packaged according to Packaging Form P 620 and shipped under defined safety precautions.
Category B classifies specimens suspected to contain less dangerous pathogens (Biological Risk Groups 2 and 3). They are assigned UN Code 3373 „Biological Substance, Category B“ and must be packaged according to Packaging Form P 650 (Figure).
Exempted are medical specimens for which there is a minimal risk of containing pathogens. Labelled accordingly, they may be shipped in a three-layer package resembling that of Packaging Form P 650. According to medical histories, clinical syndromes and any other data available there must be no evidence for a contamination with pathogens (e.g., specimens for population-based or follow-up serological studies).
Laboratory Diagnostics,
P. O. Box 30 41 20,
D-20324 Hamburg, Germany
Tel.: +49 40 42818-444
Suspected Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers
Tel.: +49 171 2127900
Fax: +49 40 42818-252
E-mail: labordiagnostik(at)bnitm.de
Patients please contact your attending doctor.
Consulting for physicians
Mo – Fr 9.00 am – 12.00 pm and 1.00 – 5.00 pm
Tel.: +49 40 42818-211
Fax: +49 40 42818-252
E-Mail: labordiagnostik(at)bnitm.de
© Copyright 2017 Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin.
