Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) Practice Exam

Which biosafety level indicates exposure to infectious agents that can cause disease in humans, but whose potential for transmission is limited?

1. Biosafety level 1

2. Biosafety level 2

3. Biosafety level 3

4. Biosafety level 4

The correct answer is: Biosafety level 2

Biosafety level 2 indicates a setting where exposure to infectious agents can occur, and these agents can cause disease in humans, but the potential for transmission is limited. This level of biosafety is designed for work involving moderate-risk agents that are associated with human disease. At this level, standard safety precautions such as using personal protective equipment, safe laboratory practices, and controlling access to the laboratory are necessary to minimize the risk of exposure. Biosafety level 2 labs usually handle pathogens that are not airborne and have effective treatments available, which makes the transmission risk relatively lower compared to higher biosafety levels. In contrast, biosafety level 1 involves agents that pose minimal threat to healthy adults and do not typically cause disease. Biosafety level 3 is designed for work with pathogens that can cause serious or potentially lethal disease through inhalation, and biosafety level 4 includes the highest risk agents where there is a high likelihood of transmission and high mortality rates, often requiring specially sealed facilities. Thus, biosafety level 2 correctly represents a scenario where infectious agents do pose risks but have limited transmission potential.