HIV-1 (MN Strain) Purified Virus

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

OSHA Classification of the substance or mixture

Hazard pictograms

Not Regulated

Signal word

Not Regulated

Hazardous Ingredients

None

Hazard statements

Not Regulated

2.3 Other hazards

This preparation of HIV-1 is a BIOHAZARDOUS material containing ACTIVE VIRUS and should be handled in accordance with biosafety guidelines defined in the BMBL, NIH-CDC HHS publication No. (CDC) 21-1112. Category: WHO Risk Group 3 Emergency Overview: Biohazardous Pathogenicity: AIDS is characterized by symptoms and infections caused by the breakdown of the immune system due to HIV infection. HIV can infect many types of cells, mainly lymphocytes, but also macrophages, and microglia in the brain, and other neurological cells, resulting in profound asthenia, dementia and damage to the peripheral nervous system. Due to immunodeficiency, patients succumb to various fungi, parasites, bacteria, and/or viruses and are prone to certain tumors. Globally, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most common cause of death of HIV-infected individuals.

Potential health effects

The clinical features of HIV infection vary depending on the stage of the disease. Acute infection is accompanied by non-specific “flu-like” and “mononucleosis-like” symptoms such as myalgia, arthralgia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, hepatosplenomegaly, weight loss and neurological symptoms. Early-stage disease refers to the period of clinical latency between the time of the primary infection and the development of symptoms indicative of advanced immunodeficiency. Typically, when the patient’s CD4+ T-cell count falls below 500 cells/µl, syndromes indicative of depressed cell mediated immunity can appear. Examples include orophayngeal and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, bacillary angiomatosis, recurrent or multidermatomal herpes zoster, listeriosis, infections due to Rhodococcus equi, pelvic inflammatory disease, oral hairy leukoplakia associated with Epstein-Barr virus, cervical dysplasia, long lasting diarrhea, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and peripheral neuropathy. Late-stage disease refers to the period when the patient’s CD4+ T-cell count falls below 200 cells/µl. The loss of the integrity of cell-mediated immune responses allows ubiquitous environmental organisms with limited virulence to become life threatening pathogens. Examples of conditions (as set out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) include candidiasis of bronchi, trachea, lungs or oesophagus, invasive cervical cancer, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, cryptosporidiosis, cytomegalovirus disease (other than liver, spleen or nodes) cytomegalovirus retinitis (with loss of vision), HIV-related encephalopathy, herpes simplex, histoplasmosis, isosporiasis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, immunoblastic lymphoma, primary lymphoma of the brain, Mycobacterium avium complex, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pneumocystis jiovecii pneumonia, recurrent pneumonia, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, recurrent salmonella septicaemia, toxoplasmosis of the brain and wasting syndrome due to HIV. (Original Pathogen Safety Data Sheet and Risk Assessment located at publichealth.gc.ca) Host Range: Humans.

PBT Substances

Not applicable

vPvB Substances

Not applicable

2.1 Classification of the substance or mixture

Classification according to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 This product is not classified as hazardous according to the Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and subsequent amendments. This product is not classified as hazardous according to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). This product is not classified as hazardous according to OSHA GHS regulations within the U.S.