Environmental Health
Animal Exposure Program
Occupational Animal Exposure Training
View training through the online Occupational Animal Exposure PowerPoint Presentation or read below.
Occupational Animal Exposure
- Both research and non-research animals have the potential to cause injury, transmit zoonotic disease, and/or cause allergic reaction to those who have contact.
- These animal hazards can occur by either direct contact from handling an animal or just by being in close proximity, i.e., working or passing through an animal housing room.
Animal Exposure
- Staff members who have indirect but close proximity exposure to animals need to be provided with the appropriate awareness training. Employees who have potential for animal exposure are those that maintain equipment, and building services staff assigned to animal housing buildings.
- Understanding routes of disease transmission, disease or allergy signs and symptoms, personal protective equipment (PPE), waste handling, and emergency contacts is very important. Your job tasks will determine your potential exposure, i.e., working on a ventilation system will have a greater exposure potential then emptying the trash. REM can provide you with a risk assessment before your exposure to the potential hazard.
Animal Allergies
- An allergen is a substance, usually a protein that can cause your immune system to react as if you are being infected with a cold virus. Cats, rabbits, mice, rats, birds, and guinea pigs are the most frequently implicated allergy causing species.
- Exposure to animal related allergens (fur, saliva, hair, dander, and protein from urine) may occur by inhaling contaminates or by direct contact.
- Allergies develop after you have been exposed to foreign proteins. Example: after being exposed to an animal protein found in rat urine you can become sensitized (your body is ready to fight this reoccurring foreign protein). Scenario: you enter a room housing rats just like you have done many, many times before but this time your immune system recognizes the rat urine protein as an invader and is prepared for battle. Special cells called "mast cells" release chemical defense agents that have been stored up just for this occasion (notably histamine). This release of defense chemicals is what causes the hives, sneezing, nasal drainage, and shortness of breath. All people are capable of having an allergic reaction, some more so then others.
Allergy Signs and Symptoms
- Allergy symptoms include rhinitis (runny nose and sneezing similar to hay fever), conjunctivitis (irritation and tearing of the eyes), asthma, and/or dermatitis (skin reactions).
- Some people react quickly and begin having temporary symptoms within 10 -15 minutes after exposure. Others can have a delayed reaction starting several hours after exposure. There are some people, due to their genetic composition, who react by developing more severe allergy related diseases like asthma or dermatitis. Allergic reactions are implicated if symptoms are reduced or stop after leaving the work place.
Personal Protective Equipment
- Minimize the risk of development of animal allergies or zoonotic disease by working in well-ventilated areas, using good hygiene practices (proper hand washing technique), using personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, and wearing N-95 rated dust masks, and laboratory coats or coveralls.
- PPE is the last barrier between you and the hazard. Make sure your selection fits properly and is appropriate for the job task. A typical selection of PPE includes outerwear, latex or nitrile gloves, closed-toe shoes, and perhaps a N-95 dust and vapor mask.
- REM can recommend specific types of PPE.
Zoonotic Diseases
Many diseases can be transmitted between animals and people. These are called zoonoses. Pregnant workers can be at very high risk for certain animal diseases. Awareness, common sense, PPE, and avoidance will protect against and prevent most of these diseases.
- Rabies: a fatal central nervous system attaching virus transmitted from infected mammal saliva.
- Toxoplasmosis: a protozoan infection causing mono like symptoms in adults and horrible birth defects in the fetus.
- Leptosprirosis: a bacterial infection caused from contact with infected animal urine that causes sudden onset of headache, chills, and other flu like symptoms.
- Ascariasis: round worm infection, can cause serious problems for internal organs.
- Psitticosis: an acute chlamydial (intracellular bacteria) disease that causes fever, headache, myalgia, and pneumonia-like respiratory illness. Associated with inhaling feather dust and dried bird droppings.
- Q Fever: an airborne rickettsial (organisms smaller then bacteria) that causes chills and fever in adults and horrible birth defects for the fetus. Associated with sheep.
- In many labs research animals are infected with biohazardous agents. Does this mean you will be infected by entering a research facility? No, especially if you follow simple precautions.
Animal Exposure Do's
- Get permission to enter a research area from the Principal Investigator or lab personnel. Respect warning signs like biohazard and radiation stickers.
- Utilize the appropriate PPE. If you do not know what type of PPE to use contact the Biosafety Officer at REM for recommendations.
- Discard used PPE properly and wash your hands properly. Hand washing is a very simple step that is extremely important in preventing disease transmission.
- Leave everything in a research area as you found it (lights, locks, temperature, etc.).
Animal Exposure Don'ts
- Do not touch research animals. Some of the research animals are very expensive costing thousands of dollars apiece and are very sensitive to temperature changes and can catch disease from you.
- Do not handle animal waste or bedding without the appropriate PPE.
- Do not take animal soiled PPE or work clothes home. You don't want to exposure your family to animal allergens or biohazards.
- Do not enter animal areas where you are not authorized to go. Having a master key does not authorize you to go into certain animal housing areas. Always check with lab staff first.
Reporting
- Report suspect allergic reactions or zoonotic illness to your Supervisor and to REM (Biosafety Officer). If you have signs and symptoms of an animal exposure related allergy let us know and we will send you a risk assessment form to complete.
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