Evaluating the Public Health Response to a Mass Bat Exposure – Wyoming, 2017

Details

• Personal Author:
  Busacker A ; Buttke D ; Cote A ; Guagliardo SAJ ; Harrist A ; Jackson, David A. ; Musgrave, Karl J. ; Pickens V ; Said MA ; Tran CH ; Van Houten C ; Wallace RM
• Description:
  Mass bat exposures (MBEs) occur when multiple people are exposed to a bat or a bat colony, often over an extended period. In August 2017, a public health investigation was started in response to an MBE that occurred during May-August 2017 at a national park research station in Wyoming. We identified 176 people who had slept primarily in two lodges (Lodges A and B) at the research station, and successfully contacted 165 (93.8%) of these individuals. Risk assessments (RAs) were administered to all 165 individuals to determine degree and type of exposures to bats (e.g., biting or scratching). Exposure status for research station guests was classified as "non-exposed" "low risk" or "high risk," and counselling was provided to guide postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) recommendations. Prior to public health notification and intervention, 19 persons made the decision to pursue PEP. The healthcare-seeking behaviours of this group were taken to represent outcomes in the absence of public health intervention. (These persons received a RA, and their risk classification was retrospectively assigned.) Approximately 1.2 weeks after conducting the RAs, we conducted a follow-up survey to determine whether recommendations regarding PEP were ultimately followed. The proportion of individuals that unnecessarily pursued PEP was higher among the 19 individuals that sought health care prior to receiving the RA (p < 0.00001). Among those receiving the RA first, all persons classified as high risk followed public health guidance to seek PEP treatment. Despite this, upon re-interview, only 21/79 (26.6%) of guests could accurately recall their risk classification, with most people (55.7%) overestimating their risk. Study findings demonstrate that early public health interventions such as RAs can reduce unnecessary use of PEP and that messaging used during rabies counselling should be clear. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Environmental Exposure Men Occupational Health Public Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Women
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Counselling Exposure Levels Humans Mass Bat Exposure Post-exposure Prophylaxis Prophylaxis Public Health Rabies Risk Assessment Risk Factors
• ISSN:
  1863-1959
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Wyoming
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  66
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056211
• Citation:
  Zoonoses Public Health 2019 Aug; 66(5):504-511
• Contact Point Address:
  Andrea Cote, Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
• Email:
  Andrea.cote@usda.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Zoonoses and Public Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:18c487f50e1928ec70f0d9edb58fa1b23862dffb13f50aea0df6d6906525a498969281466c901723791a85ee8f6865fce3a30c408c7d69ed726b511b30b14ac8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213863/cdc_213863_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 515.13 KB ]