What is the recommended approach to handling prion-contaminated waste?

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Prions are unusually resistant to standard decontamination, so waste that may be contaminated must be handled with strict containment and validated inactivation. The recommended approach is to treat contaminated instruments and waste as hazardous: do not reuse contaminated instruments; either incinerate the waste or dispose of it according to regulatory guidelines; and decontaminate tools only with protocols that are validated specifically for prions. This is necessary because ordinary cleaning or typical sterilization methods may not reliably inactivate prions, and reusing cleaned instruments could still pose a transmission risk. Simply freezing or storing prion-contaminated material does not inactivate it, so those options are not appropriate.