Question

What are the different biosafety levels?

Answer 1

A biosafety level (BSL) is also referred to as a pathogen or protection level. It is a collection of biocontainment measures that must be followed in order to isolate harmful biological agents in a laboratory environment.

Complete answer:
Biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) is the lowest level of containment, while level 4 is the highest (BSL-4).
Biosafety level 1: This level of biosafety is suitable for working with a variety of microorganisms, including non-pathogenic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus species, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and other organisms not suspected of causing human disease.
Biosafety level 2: This level of biosafety is appropriate for work involving agents which pose a mild risk to people and the environment. Various microbes that cause mild disease in humans or are difficult to contract through aerosol in a lab setting fall into this category.
Biosafety level 3: Work involving microbes that can cause severe and potentially lethal disease when inhaled is appropriate for biosafety level 3. Clinical, diagnostic, teaching, testing, and manufacturing facilities may also be used for this form of work.
Biosafety level 4: Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) is the highest level of biosafety precautions and is suitable for working with agents that may be readily aerosol-transmitted inside the laboratory and causing serious or lethal disease in humans for which no vaccines or treatments are available.

Note:
Biosafety is a term used to describe the process of safeguarding against potentially dangerous events. A continuous risk management evaluation and compliance framework for biosafety are used by several laboratories that handle biohazards. Failure to adopt such procedures will raise the chance of biohazards or pathogens being exposed.