Researcher Information
Sharoni Michal
sharonim@mit.edu (123) 456-7890
The information provided below is for MIT researchers' use and is subject to change by EHS. For our legal disclaimer please see - http://ehs.mit.edu/site/content/legal-disclaimer
Agent Characteristics
West Nile Virus
RG 3
Virus
Yes       Yes   Yes  
Flaviviridae. Enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that is typically transmitted by mosquito bite.
HumansBirdsAnimalsMosquitos
Cut/ Needlestick / Non-intact skinMosquito biteMother to fetus transmissionMucous Membranes
One viral unit. The incubation period of the West Nile virus varies from 2-14 days. Symptoms tend to last 5-7 days.
Health Hazards
Symptoms are only seen in 20-40% of those infected, typically consisting of abrupt onset of fever in addition to fatigue, body aches, lack of appetite, eye pain, nausea, and abdominal pain. In 25-50% of patients, a small red-dotted rash appears on the chest, back and arms. At times, West Niles Virus will cause infection of the nervous system. Special note: those most at risk for severe (neuroinvasive) disease are advancing age and hematological malignancies
None available
None available
Supportive care in the form of pain control, antiemetics, and rehydration. Other agents demonstrate conflicting data on their efficacy
Containment
BSL 2+
Viability
10% household bleach (~0.5% sodium hypochlorite)70% ethanolActivated hydrogen peroxide (PREempt, Rescue)Quaternary ammonia (Quatricide, sklar, Lysol spray, etc.)Phenolic (Vesphene II)hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid (Peridox)Fresh 2% glutaraldehyde (Gluterate / CIDEX)
Inactivated by heat (50 to 60°C for at least 30 minutes).
Primary hazards are sharps injuries, droplets, and aerosols.
PPE/Containment
Wear gloves, lab coat, and appropriate lab attire (pants/long dress, closed toed shoes); eye protection, e.g. safety glasses, safety goggles recommended for liquids. Additional PPE may be required depending on lab specific BL2+ SOPs for handling West Nile Virus.
Spill Procedures
Notify others working in the lab.  Allow aerosols to settle. Don appropriate PPE.  Cover area of the spill with paper towels and apply an EPA approved disinfectant, working from the perimeter towards the center.  Allow 10 minutes of contact time. Cleanup spill materials and dispose as biowaste. Surface disinfect 5-10 minutes. Remove PPE and wash hands.
For large volume spills or biological spills in a public area, contact MIT's Biosafety Program or the EHS office (617-452-3477) during normal business hours.  If the spill occurs after hours or on weekends, activate the EHS ON CALL system by dialing Operations 3-4948 (617-253-4948) or MIT Police by dialing 100 from a campus phone or 617-253-1212 from a mobile phone.
Exposure Procedures
Flush eyes, mouth, or nose for 15 minutes at eyewash station.
Wash area with soap and water and rinse/scrub for 5-10 minutes.
Immediately report incident to supervisor, PI, or EHS Representative. PI/supervisor must submit incident report in Atlas within 24 hours.
Medical Follow-up
9:00am-4:00pm, weekdays:
contact MIT Occupational Health:
Phone: 617-253-8552
Address: 25 Carleton Street, Building E23, Cambridge, MA 02142
website		 8:00am-8:00pm, weekdays
10:00am-4:00pm, weekends
MIT Health Urgent Care
phone: 617-253-1311
address: 25 Carleton Street, Building E23, Cambridge, MA 02142
Or call MIT Police 617-253-1212		 Emergencies:
Call 100 from a campus phone or
617-253-1212 from a mobile phone
Additional comments
All Category A Infectious agents solid waste, e.g petri dishes, tubes, contaminated gloves, must be inactivated with an appropriate disinfectant before disposing into the biowaste box
Lab-acquired infections are associated with percutaneous inoculation, splash to eyes, aerosols. BSL3 may be needed for high titers of virus or aerosol-generating procedures.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544246/
https://my.absa.org/LAI
Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories�6th Edition
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/laboratory-biosafety-biosecurity/pathogen-safety-data-sheets-risk-assessment/west-nile-virus.html
10-14-2022
DB: see my comment for Dengue.  There's discrepancy with activated hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant for these two viruses that are under the same family. 

MMM: updated disinfectants
Created on June  6, 2022 at  1:18 PM (EDT). Last updated by Zhong, Lu on Nov. 19, 2025 at  5:18 PM (EST). Owned by Sharoni, Michal.
Michal Sharoni
Lu Zhong
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