Category A Infectious Substances

A Category A infectious is a substance which is transported in a form that, when exposure to it occurs, is capable of causing permanent disability, life-threatening or fatal disease in otherwise healthy humans or animals.

Infectious substances meeting these criteria which cause disease in humans or both in humans and animals must be assigned to UN 2814. Infectious substances which cause disease only in animals must be assigned to UN 2900. The assignment to UN 2814 or UN 2900 must be based on the known medical history and symptoms of the source human or animal, endemic local conditions, or professional judgment concerning individual circumstances of the source human or animal.

The table below is not meant to be all inclusive and cannot account for emerging pathogens.  Any infectious substance that meets the definition of a Category A substance as defined above must be shipped and packaged as a Category A.

Please note: ‘cultures only’ appearing next to an organism on the list below indicates Category A status only if has been amplified through cultivation.  ‘Cultures only’ agents, shipped without amplification, are shipped under the less restrictive criteria for Category B.