Fatal Meningococcal Disease in a Laboratory Worker — California, 2012

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Sheets, Channing D. ; Harriman, Kathleen ; Zipprich, Jennifer ; Louie, Janice K. ; Probert, William S. ; Horowitz, Michael ; Prudhomme, Janice C. ; Gold, Deborah ; Mayer, Leonard
• Description:
  Occupationally acquired meningococcal disease is rare. Adherence to recommendations for safe handling of Neisseria meningitidis in the laboratory greatly reduces the risk for transmission to laboratory workers. A California microbiologist developed fatal serogroup B meningococcal disease after working with N. meningitidis patient isolates in a research laboratory (laboratory A). The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the local health department, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CalOSHA), and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) collaborated on an investigation of laboratory A, which revealed several breaches in recommended laboratory practice for safe handling of N. meningitidis, including manipulating cultures on the bench top. Additionally, laboratory workers had not been offered meningococcal vaccine in accordance with Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations and CalOSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Standard requirements. In accordance with OSHA and CalOSHA regulations, laboratory staff members must receive laboratory biosafety training and use appropriate personal protective equipment, and those who routinely work with N. meningitidis isolates should receive meningococcal vaccine.
• Subjects:
  • Adult
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Laboratories
  • Male
  • Meningococcal Infections
  • Neisseria meningitidis
  • Occupational Diseases
• Source:
  MMWR Morbidity Mortal Weekly Rep. 2014; 63(35):770-772.
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Pubmed ID:
  25188495
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5779447
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California
• Pages in Document:
  3 pdf pages
• Volume:
  63
• Issue:
  35
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/53338/cdc_53338_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 129.39 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f4eaafedfa00331b3b9907d128dcfb2a330272b00252b173ef7b8b73e3e00e5df134cc62e62190c3e0e0710a63845c4e0c842e4299dab866e3c0773d7058e2f4