[Measures for the disposal of non-regulated alternative medical wastes--prion protein-polluted medical waste].

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), sometimes known as prion diseases, are fatal degenerative brain diseases. From epidemiological evidence and many investigations of data, the risk that TSE agents will be transmitted from TSE patients to other humans, is very low, but TSE agents comprise one of the very severe bio-medical hazards. Although government agencies, world organization and other institutions have distributed some guidances for safe working and prevention of infection, these guidances are not compulsory and no globally harmonized guidelines is present to date. Therefore, medical staff particularly in hospitals individually take countermeasures for safety against TSE agents by using these guidelines, and both the level and method differ in each hospital. In this chapter, transmission of TSE and related parts of guidelines from the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens and Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee in the United Kingdom recommending relatively strict standards are described.