General Procedures for Inactivation of potentially infectious Samples with Ebola Virus

The general procedures for the inactivation of samples potentially infectious with the Ebola virus standardize the technical, biosafety, and waste management conditions required to reduce viral infectivity at the National Reference Laboratory, enabling the safe processing of clinical samples in BSL-2 environments. The operational workflow ranges from preliminary considerations regarding the type of sample and necessary infrastructure, through inactivation methods differentiated by diagnostic purpose—inactivation with guanidine salts for RT-PCR molecular assays, and inactivation by heat or detergents for biochemical and hematological determinations for clinical follow-up— to protocols for cleaning, decontaminating environments and equipment, and the final disposal of biological waste.

The document establishes operational criteria for the safe handling of specimens classified as Group 4 pathogens, taking into account requirements for personal protective equipment, Class II or III biosafety cabinets, and closed analytical systems, and incorporating critical warnings regarding contraindicated procedures such as viral isolation in cells and the storage of uninactivated samples under BSL-2 conditions. It also aligns these procedures with the international guidelines of the WHO and PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centers, in accordance with current guidelines for the prevention and control of infections caused by Ebola and Marburg viruses.