Occ health

Animal Resource CenterOccupational Health Program: 

Animal Resource Center Occupational Health Program The Occupational Health and Safety Program for CWRU Personnel with Substantial Laboratory Animal Contact September 2004

Who Should Participate?: 

Who Should Participate? Animal Resource Center personnel Research faculty, technicians and students with laboratory animal contact Plant services and security personnel who enter the Animal Resource Center Other individuals who may have direct contact with live or dead animals, their tissues, body fluids or wastes

What is Included? : 

What is Included? Annual TB skin testing Tetanus-Diptheria immunization every 10 years Rabies pre-exposure immunization with biennial antibody titer testing Serum Q-fever antibody titers Evaluation, treatment and referral, when indicated, of job-related injuries or illnesses Hazard Identification and Training

How Do You Enroll?: 

How Do You Enroll? Contact the University Health Service Eleanor Davidson, MD, Director 2145 Adelbert Road Phone: 368-2450

Allergy to Laboratory Animals: 

Allergy to Laboratory Animals Animal Allergies are the most common hazard associated with working with animals Allergy promoting products of animals: dander, serum, urine, other tissue products Types of allergy: hay fever, asthma, eczema To minimize allergy risk Use gloves, protective clothing, face mask, surgical cap ventilated hood Treatment of allergic symptoms: antihistamines, steroids, decongestants, desensitization

Latex Allergy: 

Latex Allergy Latex is a plastic polymer used in many medical devices including surgical and exam gloves. Latex gloves are tan or yellowish in color. Some individuals can develop an allergy to latex that can be manifested as: Dermatitis Acute anaphylactic shock Persons with a known sensitivity to latex should inform their personal physician. Non latex gloves are available in the ARC. Non latex gloves are generally blue or green.

Animal Caused Injuries: 

Animal Caused Injuries Bites rodents, dogs, cats, ferrets, nonhuman primates Scratches rabbits, cats Kicks horses, cattle Prevention of injury depends on proper training of personnel in animal behavior, handling and restraint.

Cuts, Scratches, Bites and Puncture Wounds: 

Cuts, Scratches, Bites and Puncture Wounds Briefly allow to bleed freely to flush wound Disinfect (e.g. with betadine, novalsan, alcohol, etc.) Report the injury immediately to your supervisor or the veterinarian Notify the University Health Service (368-2450)

Zoonotic Diseases: 

Zoonotic Diseases Infectious diseases humans can contract from animals

Methods of Disease Transmission: 

Methods of Disease Transmission Ingestion e.g., Salmonella, Toxoplasmosis Penetration of mucous membranes or through broken skin e.g., Brucellosis, Rat Bite Fever, Cat Scratch Fever, Rabies, Herpes B Virus Penetration through intact skin e.g., ringworm, contagious ecthyma Inhalation Tuberculosis, Q-fever

Prevention of Zoonoses:: 

Prevention of Zoonoses: DO wear gloves when handling animals wear scrub suits or lab coats over street clothes while working in the animal facility know and use proper animal handling and restraint techniques use proper protective and containment equipment and devices wash hands after handling animals

Prevention of Zoonoses:: 

Prevention of Zoonoses: DON’T eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics or insert contact lenses in the animal facility wear open-toed shoes in the animal facility wear scrubs, gowns and lab coats outside of the animal facility recap used needles pipette by mouth

Potential Hazards in the Animal Facility: 

Potential Hazards in the Animal Facility Ionizing Radiation Carcinogens Waste Anesthetic Gases Zoonoses

Ionizing Radiation: 

Ionizing Radiation X-rays Pregnant women should avoid restraining animals undergoing x-ray exposure Radioisotopes Risk to pregnant woman depends on isotope, its chemical form and the total dose administered Use appropriate shielding, maximize distance and minimize time to reduce exposure Maximum permissible dose = 500 mrem/9 months (1/10 nonpregnant exposure limit) Notify Radiation Safety Office: 368-2906

Carcinogens: 

Carcinogens Carcinogen - a substance that can cause cancer Mutagen - a substance that can cause chromosomal damage Teratogen - a substance that can produce birth defects Waste Anesthetic Gases Avoid exposure by using testing equipment regularly and using scavenging devices

If You are (or plan to become) PREGNANT: 

If You are (or plan to become) PREGNANT Relative risks to fetus during pregnancy 0-3 weeks: a period of relative safety 3-12 weeks: period of greatest vulnerability 3-9 months: growth retardation, premature birth

Zoonotic Hazards in Pregnancy: 

Zoonotic Hazards in Pregnancy Toxoplasmosis Infectious oocytes present in cat feces Infection in second trimester can cause severe congenital neurologic disease Previous exposure to Toxoplasma results in immunity during pregnancy A blood test to determine previous infection is available

Zoonotic Hazards in Pregnancy: 

Zoonotic Hazards in Pregnancy Brucellosis A venereal disease of dogs, and farm animals Transmission is by contact of infectious urine with mucous membranes Precautions: wear gloves, face mask, glasses/goggles or face shield when urine is likely to be splashed Listeriosis Causes encephalitis in rabbits, ruminants and chinchillas Can cause abortion or premature birth with encephalitis Contracted by eating infected unpasteurized meat/milk or handling infected tissues

If You Work With NONHUMAN PRIMATES: 

If You Work With NONHUMAN PRIMATES Required attire for entering monkey rooms: surgical gown, cap, mask, gloves, shoecovers, glasses/goggles or face shield Mandatory anesthesia for any procedure involving the removal of a monkey from its cage Yearly intradermal TB tests required for all personnel working with nonhuman primates

Herpes B Virus(Herpes Virus Simiae): 

Herpes B Virus (Herpes Virus Simiae) Causes ‘fever blisters’ or is asymptomatic in the affected macaque monkey Can cause a fatal encephalitis in man Treatment can be effective only if begun prior to symptoms

Precautions to Prevent Transmission of Herpes B Virus: 

Precautions to Prevent Transmission of Herpes B Virus Freeze baseline serum sample Wear of proper attire Use proper safety precautions anesthesia of monkeys to be handled avoid needle stick injuries: No recapping! Report all splashes to mucous membranes, bites and any injury by a monkey or monkey equipment than breaks the skin

Monkey Bite/Injury SOP’s: 

Monkey Bite/Injury SOP’s Allow normal flow of blood to irrigate wound Massage wound with 1:10 dilution of hot Clorox or Dakin’s solution Clean wound with Betadine scrub Culture wound site for virus Culture mouth of involved monkey for virus Notify veterinarian and physician immediately Start Acyclovir treatment pending outcome of culture?

If You Work With DOGS or CATS: 

If You Work With DOGS or CATS Random-source dogs and cats unknown vaccination and medical history Purpose-bred dogs and cats Proper attire for hosing pens: cap, mask, gloves, boots, glasses, goggles or face shield Recommend pre-exposure rabies immunization Precautions for splenectomized personnel working with dogs (Capnocytophaga canimorsus)

Rabies: 

Rabies A viral disease causing a fatal encephalitis Transmission is through saliva via a skin-penetrating bite wound Virus appears in the saliva within 10 days of the onset of neurologic signs in the affected animal

Dog/Cat Bite SOP’s: 

Dog/Cat Bite SOP’s Clean and disinfect wound Report injury to ARC immediately (368-3490) Return animal to its cage Animal must be quarantined for 10 days If animal dies or exhibits signs of neurologic disease during the quarantine period, its head will be sent to the Ohio Rabies Diagnostic Lab for testing

If You Work With FARM ANIMALS(Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Pigs): 

If You Work With FARM ANIMALS (Cattle, Goats, Sheep, Pigs) Q-fever an airborne bacteria present in the birth fluids of infected animals can cause flu-like syndrome or endocarditis in persons with preexisting valvular heart disease Orf (Contagious Ecthyma) a skin disease of goats Erysipelas a skin disease of pigs

Pregnant Sheep SOP’s: 

Pregnant Sheep SOP’s Purchase from Q-fever negative supplier House and perform surgery in negative airflow room Required attire for entering rooms housing pregnant sheep: surgical gown, cap, mask, gloves, shoecovers Disinfect surfaces with Clorox 1:30 solution

If You Work WithRODENTS or RABBITS: 

If You Work With RODENTS or RABBITS Recommended attire For conventional mouse handling: lab coat, gloves (cap and mask when dumping cages) Use waste management station for cage dumping For microisolator mouse handling: cap, mask, gown, gloves

If you Work WithHAZARDOUS AGENTS: 

If you Work With HAZARDOUS AGENTS Infectious Diseases Pathogen Safety Committee - David Sedwick 368-4844 Radioisotopes Radiation Safety - David Sedwick 368-2906 Recombinant DNA Recomb DNA Committee - David Samols 368-3520 Carcinogens Carcinogen Safety Committee - David McCoy 368-5963 Other Toxic Chemicals Safety Committee - Richard Dell 368-2907

Sharps Containers: 

Sharps Containers Should be present in every animal room Should be delivered to the postmortem room when full Should be replenished from the veterinary technicians lab in EB012A

Sharps Containers: 

Sharps Containers Do Place all sharps in appropriate containers Report unprotected sharps in animal rooms to an Animal Husbandry Manager Remind the veterinary technicians if a container is full or missing Stop when in doubt and get help from an Animal Husbandry Manager

Review: 

Review Congratulations ! You have completed the Occupational Health Training Module Follow the link to the final exam If you have trouble with the test be sure and review this presentation Take Test