A Cluster of Health Symptoms After a Law Enforcement Operation: A Case Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chiu SK ; Hornsby-Myers, Jennifer ; Iverson C ; Trout, Douglas B.
• Description:
  Law enforcement officers (LEOs) often encounter rapidly changing and uncontrolled situations that expose them to various hazards. A law enforcement agency requested an evaluation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) when multiple LEOs reported illness after executing a search warrant and taking a suspect into custody. NIOSH investigators interviewed LEOs and reviewed medical records, forensic laboratory results for collected evidence, and environmental testing results of samples taken after the operation. Two-thirds (25 of 38) of LEOs who participated in the operation reported ≥1 symptom. Eleven LEOs met a case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI). Members of one unit were more likely to have ILI than non-members (prevalence ratio (PR), 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-13.0; p = 0.01). Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower prevalence of ILI (PR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9; p = 0.02). Preventing employees from working while ill and annual influenza vaccination might prevent similar occurrences. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Case Reports Communicable Diseases Emergency Responders Influenza, Human Law Enforcement Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Execution Of A Search Warrant Case Studies Clinical Symptoms Emergency Responders Infectious Disease Infectious Diseases Influenza Influenza-like Illness Law Enforcement Workers Occupational Hazards Police Officers Public Safety Vaccines

  More +
• ISSN:
  2093-7911
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 7 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; EPRO - Emergency Preparedness and Response Office
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  13
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066163
• Citation:
  Saf Health Work 2022 Dec; 13(4):507-511
• Contact Point Address:
  Sophia K. Chiu, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave, Mailstop R-9, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1938, USA
• Email:
  schiu1@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Safety and Health at Work
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:aef3a9d9a8420927f386347e2376de6f1e641703dba3bf4a45e0a2d6d9c693c92ae4bcaf511bd2f66d042664b6b87ad3fe36c53b3e3a93a3af91a8c7ae92191a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/212668/cdc_212668_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 485.70 KB ]