The woman at the animal sanctuary that the detectives speak with is likely a reference to 1960s film star Tippi Hedren, who was inspired to open her own sanctuary for large cats after she discovered those used in the movie Mister Kingstreet's War (1971) had nowhere to go after filming. Because of this, her daughter Melanie Griffith spent much of her childhood around lions and tigers.
The woman at the animal sanctuary, Faye Ireland, could be inspired by 1950s/1960s French film star and icon Brigitte Bardot, particularly since Briscoe referred to her previously being known for wearing "tight sweaters."
This episode appears to be based on the 1988 Reston African filovirus outbreak.
David Fonteno has portrayed seven different characters over the course of the series:
- Episode 1.17 Mushrooms (1991) - Coach.
- Episode 3.16 Jurisdiction (1993) - Gavin McCrea.
- Episode 4.19 Sanctuary (1994) - Jimmy Graves.
- Episode 6.4 Jeopardy (1995) - CSU Technicain Murrau.
- Episode 7.18 Mad Dog (1997) - Munro.
- Episode 10.24 Vaya Con Dios (2000) - John Groban.
- Episode 11.10 Whose Monkey Is It Anyway? (2001) - Judge Derek Hafner.
- Episode 18.12 Submission (2008) - Judge Derek Hafner.
- Episode 19.20 Exchange (2009) - Judge Derek Hafner.
John Jellison has played three different roles over the course of the series:
- Episode 9.3 Bait (1998) - Mr. Teasdale.
- Episode 11.10 Whose Monkey Is It Anyway? (2001) - Paul Marra.
- Episode 14.19 Nowhere Man (2004) - Mike O'Dwyer.