Inhalational Anthrax Outbreak among Postal Workers, Washington, D.C., 2001

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Dewan, Puneet K. ; Fry, Alicia M. ; Laserson, Kayla ; Tierney, Bruce C. ; Quinn, Conrad P. ; Hayslett, James A. ; Broyles, Laura N. ; Shane, Andi ; Winthrop, Kevin L. ; Walks, Ivan ; Siegel, Larry ; Hales, Thomas ; Semenova, Vera A. ; Romero-Steiner, Sandra ; Elie, Cheryl ; Khabbaz, Rima ; Khan, Ali S. ; Hajjeh, Rana A. ; Schuchat, Anne
• Description:
  In October 2001, four cases of inhalational anthrax occurred in workers in a Washington, D.C., mail facility that processed envelopes containing Bacillus anthracis spores. We reviewed the envelopes' paths and obtained exposure histories and nasal swab cultures from postal workers. Environmental sampling was performed. A sample of employees was assessed for antibody concentrations to B. anthracis protective antigen. Case-patients worked on nonoverlapping shifts throughout the facility, suggesting multiple aerosolization events. Environmental sampling showed diffuse contamination of the facility. Potential workplace exposures were similar for the case-patients and the sample of workers. All nasal swab cultures and serum antibody tests were negative. Available tools could not identify subgroups of employees at higher risk for exposure or disease. Prophylaxis was necessary for all employees. To protect postal workers against bioterrorism, measures to reduce the risk of occupational exposure are necessary.
• Subjects:
  Anthrax Antibiotic Prophylaxis Bacillus Anthracis Bioterrorism Disease Outbreaks Dispatch Environmental Monitoring Epidemiological Monitoring Health Surveys Inhalational Anthrax Inhalation Exposure Nose Occupational Exposure Occupational Healh Postal Service Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Infections Risk Factors Safety Serologic Tests Skin Diseases, Infectious Time Factors

  More +
• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 8(10):1066-1072.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
• Topic:
  Diseases & Conditions
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  7 pdf pages
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20022385
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:96af164f41ca2c31a921352ed9ee642545ac853189ff4b29335409595125876b02e831eb703ebb57aefc98b7490debb68c10ae54153241f740076e909e23e66f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/14046/cdc_14046_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 288.24 KB ]