CDC Interim Recommendations for Protecting Workers from Exposure to Bacillus anthracis in Work Sites Where Mail Is Handled or Processed [Wednesday, October 31, 2001, 21:30 EST (9:30 PM EST)]

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Health Alert Network (HAN)
• Description:
  Wednesday, October 31, 2001, 21:30 EST (9:30 PM EST)
  
  CDCHAN-00051-2001-10-31-ADV-N
  
  (Updated from CDC Health Advisory 45 issued 10/24/01)
  
  These interim recommendations are intended to assist personnel responsible for occupational health and safety in developing a comprehensive program to reduce potential cutaneous or inhalational exposures to Bacillus anthracis spores among workers, including maintenance and custodial workers, in work sites where mail is handled or processed. Such work sites include post offices, mail distribution/handling centers, bulk mail centers, air mail facilities, priority mail processing centers, public and private mailrooms, and other settings in which workers are responsible for the handling and processing of mail. These interim recommendations are based on the limited information available on ways to avoid infection and the effectiveness of various prevention strategies and will be updated as new information becomes available. These recommendations do not address instances where a known or suspected exposure has occurred. Workers should be trained in how to recognize and handle a
  
  suspicious piece of mail (http://www.bt.cdc.gov). In addition, each work site should develop an emergency plan describing appropriate actions to be taken when a known or suspected exposure to B. anthracis occurs.
  
  Event Type: anthrax terrorism event
  
  Context: worker protection
  
  Event Type: Man-made
  
  Agent Type: bacteria
  
  Specify Agent (Name): anthrax
  
  International: no
  
  Intentional/Unintentional: intentional
  
  
• Content Notes:
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  Health Alert: Requires immediate action or attention, highest level of importance.
  
  Health Advisory: May not require immediate action; provides important information for a specific incident or situation.
  
  Health Update: Unlikely to require immediate action; provides updated information regarding an incident or situation.
  
  HAN Info Service: Does not require immediate action; provides general public health information.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Anthrax Bacillus Anthracis Bioterrorism Occupational Exposure Postal Service Respiratory Tract Infections Skin Diseases, Bacterial Spores, Bacterial
• Keywords:
  HAN Health Alert Network
• Source:
  HAN ; 051
• Series:
  Health Alert Network
• Subseries:
  CDC Health Advisory
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Alert
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Rights:
  Public Domain
• Pages in Document:
  4 unnumbered pages
• Issue:
  00051
• Collection(s):
  Health Alert Network (HAN)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:697dceddaec9c62a85f62e469cb56b2835e86b0d0d5a7218fea0d5212e10dcf01ad9ac58172d39cf594ea094be87d87d4d8b6d943078f129a31dbbd9d4effb74
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/24964/cdc_24964_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 750.59 KB ]