Viral pesticidal agents must be evaluated for potential health hazards prior to utilization. Assessment of the likelihood of replication in humans has included in vitro exposure of human cells to the potential pesticidal agent. Previous in vitro evaluation strategies have lacked positive controls. Thus, negative results, interpreted as no effect of the virus on human cells, could reflect basic deficiencies in the testing protocols. A study designed a testing scheme for viral pesticides and used it to test the nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Autographa californica. Tests were aimed at evaluating potential replication or gene expression in primate cells. Parallel tests were run utilizing identical protocols with primate viruses known to produce the biological effect being evaluated. Thus protocols described were tested with positive viral controls. (Copyright (c) 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.)