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Contained
Use of GMOs and pathogens
Laboratory-acquired Infections: Introduction
(Author: P. Herman) (Last revised:
July 29, 2009
)
Short introduction
Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) also called occupational illness or laboratory-associated infections are not new phenomena in microbiological laboratories. LAIs can arise in clinical laboratories as well as in animal facilities, R&D, production installations. It is sometimes difficult to determine if a discovered infectious worker's disease is caused by a micro-organism that is present in the laboratory only or also in the community. LAIs are also of public health concern as an infected worker may present a risk of transmission to his colleagues, relatives, family members or other citizens.
Some biological agents responsible of LAIs are presented in Table1 and a study from Pike in 1976 giving the percentage of LAI per laboratory category is showed on Table 2.
Exhaustive reports on LAIs are scanty and are based on voluntary reporting by laboratories (case reports) or by more elaborated and detailed inquiries. The underreporting of such infections is widely acknowledged due to fear of reprisal and the stigma associated with such events (Sewell, 1995). Some comprehensive publications referencing a large number of LAIs were published in the past decade (see references).
The link between LAIs and Biosafety is obvious. These concerns are also to be considered as one of the underlying reasons for the elaboration of containment measures and application of safe work practices.
A (short) definition of Laboratory-Acquired Infections
LAIs are defined as all infection acquired through laboratory or laboratory-related activities regardless whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic in nature.
How laboratory infections are acquired?
LAIs are resulting from occupational exposure to infectious agents. The most common route of exposure and accidental inoculation are the following:
- Inhalation (see aerosols)
- Percutaneous inoculation (needle and syringe, cuts or abrasions from contaminated items and animal bites)
- Contact between mucous membranes and contaminated material (hands or surfaces)
- Ingestion (aspiration through a pipette, smoking or eating)
Important factors to consider when assessing the risks for staff working in R&D, production or microbiology laboratory are the following:
- Mode of transmission
- Infectious doses for human (see Table 3)
- Another useful information is the persistence or viability of infectious agents in the environment (Table 4 under revision)
Recently reported laboratory-acquired infection (frequently updated)
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