title: Occupational risks during a monkeypox outbreak, Wisconsin, 2003.
abstract: We determined factors associated with occupational transmission in Wisconsin during the 2003 outbreak of prairie dog--associated monkeypox virus infections. Our investigation included active contact surveillance, exposure-related interviews, and a veterinary facility cohort study. We identified 19 confirmed, 5 probable, and 3 suspected cases. Rash, headache, sweats, and fever were reported by > 80% of patients. Occupationally transmitted infections occurred in 12 veterinary staff, 2 pet store employees, and 2 animal distributors. The following were associated with illness: working directly with animal care (p = 0.002), being involved in prairie dog examination, caring for an animal within 6 feet of an ill prairie dog (p = 0.03), feeding an ill prairie dog (p = 0.002), and using an antihistamine (p = 0.04). Having never handled an ill prairie dog (p = 0.004) was protective. Veterinary staff used personal protective equipment sporadically. Our findings underscore the importance of standard veterinary infection-control guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. dc2@medicine.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Donita R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Croft
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sotir
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kazmierczak
authors.forename: Mark V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Seth L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Foldy
authors.forename: Mat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolters
authors.forename: Inger K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Damon
authors.forename: Kevin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Karem
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017750:Animal Technicians; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045908:Mpox, Monkeypox / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012307:Risk Factors; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000821:virology*; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology