Laboratory-acquired infection

Definition

• The term that is commonly used to describe diseases associated with workplace exposures to infectious material or toxins in a laboratory setting is laboratory acquired infections/intoxications (LAIs); however, the term exposure more accurately includes both infections and intoxications (i.e., resulting from exposure to toxins), whether symptomatic or asymptomatic in nature, as well as those that occur outside of a laboratory environment.
• An exposure is defined as contact with, or close proximity to, infectious material or toxins that may result in infection or intoxication, respectively. Routes of exposure include inhalation, ingestion, inoculation, and absorption.

Examples

• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Arboviruses
• Coxiella burnetti
• Brucella
• Hepatitis B virus
• Shigella
• Salmonella
• Hepatitis C virus
• Neisseria meningitidis

Management

• First: preventing exposures is best!
• Identify all people potentially exposed (a line list)
• For each person, assess their risk of infection, and the potential severity of disease