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Biological Materials Shipping

Strict government regulations must be followed when transporting hazardous materials. Shipments must arrive at their destination in good condition and present no hazard during shipment. Prior to shipping any hazardous materials, please contact the Biosafety Officer at 581-6590.

If you are unsure about the regulations concerning shipping a diagnostic or infectious specimen, the Biosafety Officer can advise you. Please call 581-6590.

To read the regulations concerning the transport of a diagnostic or infectious specimen, see:

Diagnostic Specimens
Diagnostic specimens resulting from medical practice and research are considered a negligible threat to the public health. They are, however, subject to the regulations governing the transport of hazardous material.

Definition: The U.S. Department of Transportation and the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) define a diagnostic specimen as any human or animal material including but not limited to excreta, secreta, blood, blood components, tissue, and tissue fluids collected and shipped for the purposes of diagnosis, investigation, or research and are known to be 100% free of any source of infection.

When a diagnostic specimen is considered an infectious substance:

  • The specimen is obtained from a patient with suspected infection.
  • Exposure to the specimen could result in an infection.
  • The specimen is collected during an investigation of an outbreak of a serious disease of unknown cause.

    See Infectious Substance below if your specimen meets this criteria.

    Note: Live infected animals are forbidden from air transport.

Infectious Substances
An infectious substance is considered a hazardous material.

Infectious substance definition: The U.S. Department of Transportation and the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) define an infectious substance as a viable micro-organism, or its toxin, that causes or may cause disease in humans or animals.

The following are examples of infectious substances:

  • All cultures containing or suspected of containing an agent which may cause infection.
  • Human or animal samples that contain such an agent in quantities sufficient to cause infection, should an exposure to them occur
  • Sample(s) from a patient with a serious disease of unknown cause
  • Other specimens not included above and designated as infectious by a qualified person, e.g. a physician, scientist, nurse, etc.

If you are unsure if your shipment is considered an infectious substance, the Biosafety Officer can advise you. Please call 581-6590.