Bioterrorism
Kansas law require laboratories to report testing results suggestive of specified diseases of public health importance to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Public Health Informatics at 877-427-7317. The Kansas Administrative Regulations (K.A.R) and Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.) requires a telephone report within four hours for all suspect cases of List (e)(1) Select Agents.
The HHS and USDA have identified select agents and toxins (7CFR Part 331, 9 CFR Part 121, and 42 CFR Part 73) which could pose a severe threat to public health and safety. When a preliminary identification of a suspected biological select agent is made from a clinical specimen, laboratory work should cease. Clinical laboratories should immediately call the KDHE Epidemiology Hotline 877-427-7317 and notify the Kansas Department of Health and Environmental Laboratories (KHEL) via email.
KHEL is a member of the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) and will properly rule out or confirm the select agent.
When notifying the Bioterrorism Laboratory of rule-out specimen request, please include the following:
- What is the suspected organism?
- What is the description of the organism?
- When will the isolate be shipped?
- What is the shipping method and tracking number (FedEx Overnight, UPS Overnight, courier)?
- What is the patient history?
- Have any potential laboratory exposures occurred (handling of the specimen outside of a certified Biological Safety Cabinet, specimen was analyzed on a rapid identification method, etc.)?
All suspected or rule-out List (e)(1) Select Agent specimens must be accompanied with a completed KDHE Universal Laboratory Specimen Submission Form (Health). Order a KDHE Universal Laboratory Specimen Submission Form.