Risk of laboratory-acquired meningococcal disease.
Five probable secondary cases of meningococcal disease were identified in microbiology laboratory workers in England and Wales during a 15-year period. All cases had prepared suspensions of Neisseria meningitidis outside a safety cabinet upto seven days before onset of illness. Relative risk in laboratory workers compared with the background adult population was 184 (95% CI 60-431). In view of the potentially serious outcome from this infection, a safety cabinet should always be used when preparing or working with suspensions of meningococci. Vaccination policy for microbiology laboratory workers should be reviewed.
Boutet
R
R
PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (South West), Public Health Laboratory, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, UK.
Stuart
J M
JM
Kaczmarski
E B
EB
Gray
S J
SJ
Jones
D M
DM
Andrews
N
N
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017056:Medical Laboratory Personnel; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology