Occupational Health Program - Overview - Institutional Animal Care Training Program

The Occupational Health Program has an important role in the Health Science Center's Institutional Animal Care Program. This program, operated by UT Medicine SA, is designed to protect both HSC personnel and the laboratory animals. This webpage is an introduction to the current UTHSCSA "Occupational Health Program for Personnel with Laboratory Animal Contact". The requirements of this program are based on guidelines in the NIH Guidefor the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

All personnel who use laboratory animals, or are responsible for those using laboratory animals, must participate in the Training Program.The Occupational Health Program is available to all personnel who work with laboratory animals; for some personnel, participation is required.

Who should participate?
What is included?
How do I enroll?
In case of emergency
Diseases communicable from animals to humans (zoonoses)
If you work in the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources
If you are FEMALE
If you work with PRIMATES
If you work with RODENTS
If you work with FARM ANIMALS
If you work with birds, bats, rabbits or amphibians
If you work with HAZARDOUS AGENTS
For further information

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?

All HSC personnel who work in laboratory animal facilities or who have contact with laboratory animals or animal tissue should know about this program. Personnel included are those individuals involved in the direct care of animals and their living quarters and those individuals who have direct contact with animals (live or sacrificed), their viable tissues, body fluids, or wastes.This includes all

LAR staff,
investigators and laboratory assistants;
some personnel in
maintenance,
physical plant,
security, and
housekeeping;
as well as some students, consultants, and visitors.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

The Occupational Health Program includes

medical examinations,
tuberculosis screening (PPD or X-ray) ,
rabies vaccinations,
tetanus-diphtheria vaccinations, and
medical evaluation and treatment.
A tetanus vaccination is strongly encouraged.

Contact the Institutional Animal Care Program to enroll in the Occupational Health Program.

Humans usually are not susceptible to infectious diseases suffered by animals. However, there are some important exceptions. Infections of animals may, on some occasions, produce significant disease in people.These infections are called zoonotic diseases. They are communicated from animals to humans. In many cases the animals show little, if any, sign of illness. A bacterium in the normal flora of a healthy animal may causea serious disorder in a person exposed to it. While the animals have developed "resistance" to these microorganisms, humans with no previous exposure to the agent lack this protective immunity. Therefore, one should always be aware of possible consequences when working with each type of animal and then take precautions to minimize the risk of infection. In the event that you do become ill with a fever or some other sign of infection, it is important to let the physician caring for you know of the work you do with animals.

Some of the specific diseases and the animals associated with those disorders are described elsewhere in this webpage. There are some common sense steps that can be taken to lessen the risk of infection in general. These include cleanliness in routine tasks around animals and hand washing after completion of animal work. Research staff should protect themselves against accidental self-inoculation by wearing gloves; substituting manually operated pipettes for needles and syringes, and cannulae for needles;taking enough time to give injections properly; and by using a two-person team to inoculate animals. Further precaution should be taken by thoroughlycleansing the inoculation site. Do not re-cap the needles; discard themin a container designed for proper disposal. For procedures such as necropsy,bedding changes, and tissue and fluid sampling, biological safety cabinets,physical containment devices, full-face respirators, or other personal safety gear should be used as indicated.

The scope of possible zoonotic infections is quite large,and only a few examples will be described here. All personnel should beaware that laboratory animals (particularly rats, rabbits, guinea pigs,hamsters, cats, and monkeys) are sources of potent allergens to sensitizedpersons. Further details are available from the LAR office.

If you are FEMALE: Female caretakers, especially those of childbearingage, without immunity to toxoplasmosis, should not be exposed to possible toxoplasmosis infection from infected species or contact with cats. Therisk of congenital toxoplasma infection exists and precautions should always be taken. Since asymptomatic toxoplasma infection is common before child-bearingyears, serological samples should be taken on all women handling high-risk species prior to beginning work to avoid confusion about the significance of positive antibody tests in case of subsequent pregnancy. Cat feces should be avoided. Gloves should be worn when working in areas potentially contaminated with cat feces. Thorough hand washing after handling any potential sourceof infection is necessary.

Working with hazardous agents, in particular exposureto the possible inhalation of toxic chemicals, in the first trimester of pregnancy is discouraged.

Contact UT Medicine SA, as soon as possible for a consultation with the occupational medicine physician.

If you work with PRIMATES: Primate colonies pose special zoonotic risks.Nonhuman primate diseases are often transmissible to humans and can bea serious health hazard. Tuberculosis may be transmitted both from animalsto man and from man to animals. In all primate colonies, regularly scheduled TB testing should be done of both the primates and the personnel (including animal technicians, clinicians, investigators, students, research technicians,maintenance workers, and security personnel) exposed to them.

Common human viruses such as measles and Herpes virus simplex may also pose particular risks for a number of primate species. Herpes virusB, or Herpes B, which is carried by Old World primates, is the primate virus of most concern to people who handle these animals. B virus is frequently carried asymptomatically by rhesus, cynomolgus and possibly other memberof the genus Macaca. It may cause a fatal encephalitis in man. Wounds bythese species, or from objects contaminanted with body fluids from these species, require immediate medical attention.

Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV), a relative of the AIDS virus, is found in the African Green Monkey and other African species.While this virus can infect several other nonhuman primates species, there is currently no evidence to indicate human susceptibility.

Shigella, Campylobacter and Salmonella forms of dysenteryare quite common in primate species. Precautions should be taken to prevent either human or primate cross-contamination. Parasites such as Entamoebahistolytica can also be transferred to man and provide further reason for careful handwashing after exposure to primate feces.

Protective clothing, such as outer garments, gloves, masks,and face shields, should be used when handling primates. As a general rule,primates should be chemically restrained prior to manipulation and handling.All personnel who come into contact with primates at the Health ScienceCenter are required to have a banked serum sample stored in LaboratoryAnimal Resources and a negative tuberculosis screening. An SOP concerning management practices for potentially B virus-contaminated wounds will be provided for all primate users by the Institutional Animal Care ProgramOffice, extension 7-3718.

If you work with DOGS or CATS: Dogs and cats used in long term studies at UTHSCSA are vaccinated against rabies. An exception is made for those animals used in acute experiments. Even though these animal are under a veterinarian'ssupervision, some risk of exposure to rabies exists because the observation period may be too short to allow typical development of the symptoms ofthe disease to develop. All animal caretakers are required to be vaccinated against rabies. Investigators, students, and staff who come in contact with dogs or cats, particularly animals obtained from pounds, are strongly encouraged to have the pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis and an annual follow-up.

Parasites such as visceral larval migrans from dogs, sometapeworms, and sarcoptic mange are a potential risk to those handling infected animals. Those working with cats should be conscious of possible allergic reactions and toxoplasmosis infection. Ringworm, a fungus disease of the skin, is also a common infection in cats and is readily transferable toman.

Cat scratch disease is a zoonotic infection characterizedby regional lymphadenitis that follows a skin papule at the site of thecat scratch. While the prognosis usually is excellent and the disease in most cases is self-limiting, an examination by an occupational medicine physician is recommended.

If you work with RODENTS: Contact with rodents requires precautions against such diseases as toxoplasmosis, tapeworm infection, lymphocytic choriomeningitis(LCM), and Salmonellosis/Shigellosis, as well as ringworm and otherdermatomycoses.Additional concerns for investigators using wild rodents are leptospirosisand bubonic plague. Attention should also be paid to the possibility of allergic reactions. LCM, a rodent neurological virus, is transmissibleto man; care must be taken when handling rodents as well as potentially infected materials, such as bedding and feces, in the laboratory.

If you work with FARM ANIMALS: Q fever, a potentially serious human diseasecaused by the ricketsia Coxiella burnetii, was formerly quite common in those drinking unpasteurized milk and in slaughterhouse workers exposedto the tissues of freshly slaughtered cattle, sheep, and goats. It is now known that the organism is shed abundantly from the placental membranesof sheep. This route of exposure has been the cause of recent cases of Q fever pneumonia in laboratory workers. Sheep used in reproductive researchor other studies should be examined seriologically for possible infection,and personnel working where exposure is possible should take extra precautions.Gloves, mask and protective clothing are required for individuals working with pregnant sheep and goats. Infected persons can be effectively treated with antibiotics.

Erysipelas in pigs can be transmitted as a severe focalskin infection to man, and pigs showing diagnostic lesions should be handled with care. Similar appearing though less severe, skin lesions are also seen on the hands after contacts with sheep and goats infected with contagiousecthyma, "Orf," and vesticular stomatitis.

Rabies can also be a threat in large animals, such ascattle and horses. If working with cattle or horses, the pre-exposure rabiesprophylaxis and an annual follow-up are encouraged.

All personnel working with farm animals are required tohave a banked serum sample stored with UPG.

If you work with BIRDS, BATS, RABBITS or AMPHIBIANS: Unusual research species pose other risks.

Birds have diseases such as psittacosis and avian tuberculosis. Only inspected and properly quarantined birds should be used in research studies or teaching demonstrations.

Rabies can also be a threat in blood-sucking bats. Therefore, personnel working with this species are advisedto have the pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis and an annual follow-up.

Those working with rabbits should be conscious of possible allergic reactions.

If you work with HAZARDOUS AGENTS: There should be methods for monitoring exposure to potentially hazardous biological, chemical, and physical agents. Protective devices should be used when possible and other safety practices consistent with current safety guidelines should be adopted. Potentially hazardous chemicals in the animal laboratory and care room may be found in disinfectants,cleaning agents, pesticides, and as feed and bedding contaminants.

Hands should be washed after handling chemicals, infectious materials, animals, and before leaving the laboratory. A biological safetycabinet should be used when handling infectious materials and a fume hoodwhen handling toxic materials. All work surfaces should be decontaminated daily. All contaminated materials should be decontaminated (by autoclavingor chemical disinfection) before washing, reuse, or disposal.

If you are female of childbearing are, you should confer with the occupational medicine physician or the Environmental Health & Safety Office prior to exposure to the possible inhalation of toxic chemicals.

For further information on working with hazardous agents,contact the Safety Office, extension 7-2955.

If you work in the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources: Personnel in the Department of Laboratory AnimalResources (LAR) come into contact with all species of animals used at the Health Science Center. Therefore, precautions are taken to ensure the health of all the personnel and all the animals. For this reason, DLAR personnelare required to participate in an extensive occupational health regimen.Further information is available from the department.

If you need FURTHER INFORMATION: For further information, contact the Institutional Animal Care Program, extension 7-3718.