Laboratory-Acquired Parasitic Infections from Accidental Exposures #LAIs

Viejito pero de utilidad....

Parasitic diseases are receiving increasing attention in developed countries in part because of their importance in travelers, immigrants, and immunocompromised persons. The main purpose of this review is to educate laboratorians, the primary readership, and health care workers, the secondary readership, about the potential hazards of handling specimens that contain viable parasites and about the diseases that can result. This is accomplished partly through discussion of the occupationally acquired cases of parasitic infections that have been reported, focusing for each case on the type of accident that resulted in infection, the length of the incubation period, the clinical manifestations that developed, and the means by which infection was detected. The article focuses on the cases of infection with the protozoa that cause leishmaniasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis, Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis), and African trypanosomiasis. Data about 164 such cases are discussed, as are data about cases caused by intestinal protozoa and by helminths. Of the 105 case-patients infected with blood and tissue protozoa who either recalled an accident or for whom the likely route of transmission could be presumed, 47 (44.8%) had percutaneous exposure via a contaminated needle or other sharp object. Some accidents were directly linked to poor laboratory practices (e.g., recapping a needle or working barehanded). To decrease the likelihood of accidental exposures, persons who could be exposed to pathogenic parasites must be thoroughly instructed in safety precautions before they begin to work and through ongoing training programs. Protocols should be provided for handling specimens that could contain viable organisms, using protective clothing and equipment, dealing with spills of infectious organisms, and responding to accidents. Special care should be exercised when using needles and other sharp objects.

REFERENCE:
Herwaldt, Barbara L. “Laboratory-Acquired Parasitic Infections from  Accidental Exposures.” Clinical Microbiology Reviews 14.4 (2001): 659–688. PMC. Web. 3 Sept. 2015.

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Laboratory-Acquired #Dengue Virus Infection—A Case Report #LAIs

The WHO estimates there may be 50 million dengue virus (DENV) infections worldwide every year, with the disease being endemic in more than 100 countries [1]. There has been a dramatic rise in the incidence of dengue in recent decades, making this an arbovirus of major international public health concern. Dengue viruses belong to the family Flaviviridae and are transmitted between humans via infected female Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti. In the state of Queensland, Australia, infected travellers from overseas have facilitated numerous DENV outbreaks [2], [3]. However, these outbreaks are limited to the far north of the state, the only area of Australia where Ae. aegypti occurs [4]. There have been case reports of non-vector, healthcare-associated transmission of DENVs—four cases of percutaneous transmission via needlestick injuries, mucocutaneous transmission through a blood splash to the face, vertical transmission, and transmission via bone marrow transplant (summarised in [5]). We report the first case to our knowledge of DENV infection acquired by a laboratory scientist conducting mosquito infection and transmission experiments.

REFERENCE:
Britton, Sumudu et al. “Laboratory-Acquired Dengue Virus Infection—A Case Report.” Ed. Maria G. Guzman. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 5.11 (2011): e1324. PMC. Web. 3 Sept. 2015.

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Accidental Infection of Laboratory Worker with Vaccinia #LAIs

We report the accidental needlestick inoculation of a laboratory worker with vaccinia virus. Although the patient had previously been vaccinated against smallpox, severe lesions appeared on the fingers. Western blot and polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism were used to analyze the virus recovered from the lesions. The vaccinia virus–specific immunoglobulin G levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our study supports the need for vaccination for laboratory workers that routinely handle orthopoxvirus.

REFERENCE:
Moussatché, Nissin et al. “Accidental Infection of Laboratory Worker with Vaccinia.” Emerging Infectious Diseases 9.6 (2003): 724–726. PMC. Web. 11 Sept. 2015.
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Biological Risks and Laboratory-Acquired Infections: A Reality That Cannot be Ignored in Health Biotechnology #LAIs

Advances and research in biotechnology have applications over a wide range of areas, such as microbiology, medicine, the food industry, agriculture, genetically modified organisms, and nanotechnology, among others. However, research with pathogenic agents, such as virus, parasites, fungi, rickettsia, bacterial microorganisms, or genetic modified organisms, has generated concern because of their potential biological risk – not only for people, but also for the environment due to their unpredictable behavior. In addition, concern for biosafety is associated with the emergence of new diseases or re-emergence of diseases that were already under control. Biotechnology laboratories require biosafety measures designed to protect their staff, the population, and the environment, which may be exposed to hazardous organisms and materials. Laboratory staff training and education is essential, not only to acquire a good understanding about the direct handling of hazardous biological agents but also knowledge of the epidemiology, pathogenicity, and human susceptibility to the biological materials used in research. Biological risk can be reduced and controlled by the correct application of internationally recognized procedures such as proper microbiological techniques, proper containment apparatus, adequate facilities, protective barriers, and special training and education of laboratory workers. To avoid occupational infections, knowledge about standardized microbiological procedures and techniques and the use of containment devices, facilities, and protective barriers is necessary. Training and education about the epidemiology, pathogenicity, and biohazards of the microorganisms involved may prevent or decrease the risk. In this way, the scientific community may benefit from the lessons learned in the past to anticipate future problems. Keywords: biological risks, biosafety, biotechnology, laboratory-acquired infections, health.

REFERENCE:
Coelho, Ana Cláudia, and Juan García Díez. “Biological Risks and Laboratory-Acquired Infections: A Reality That Cannot Be Ignored in Health Biotechnology.” Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 3 (2015): 56. PMC. Web. 21 Aug. 2015.
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Genetic Analysis of a Sarcoma Accidentally Transplanted from a Patient to a Surgeon #LAIs

Modern concepts of cancer immunology originated from the classic observations by Jensen, Loeb, Tyzzer, and Little in the early years of the 20th century of the rejection of transplanted allogeneic tumors and the acceptance of syngeneic tumors. Despite this law of transplantation, there are several clinical examples of the accidental transplantation of a malignant tumor or tumor cells into a healthy recipient. We describe the accidental transplantation of a malignant sarcoma from a patient to a surgeon. Using molecular methods, we showed that the sarcomas in the unrelated patient and surgeon were genetically identical.

REFERENCE:
Gärtner HV, Seidl C, Luckenbach C, Schumm G, Seifried E, Ritter H, Bültmann B. Genetic analysis of a sarcoma accidentally transplanted from a patient to a surgeon. N Engl J Med. 1996 Nov 14;335(20):1494-6.
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