title: The influence of the workplace-related biological agents on the immune systems of emergency medical personnel.
abstract: Emergency medical services workers' (EMSWs) acute exposures to many biological agents are frequent and well recognised in their workplaces, as well as occupational diseases resulting from some of these exposures. At the same time, there is only scant information on the adverse effects of chronic exposure to biological hazard factors on the immune systems of EMSWs. In the Polish legislation system, the Ordinance of the Minister of Health about harmful biological agents in the workplace and ways of protecting workers from exposure to those agents is an implement of Directive 2000/54/EC, which deals thoroughly with those issues in European Union Countries. Emergency medical services workers play an essential role as primary providers of pre-hospital emergency medical care, and they are part of the integral components of disaster response. Traumatic experiences can affect emergency medical staff immune systems negatively, by functioning as a chronic stressor. Conscious use of biological agents in workplaces such as microbial laboratories can be easily controlled and monitored. However, risk assessment is more difficult for workers when they are exposed unintentionally to biological agents. Exposure to bio-aerosols is considered especially harmful. This review summarises available information about biological risk factors for emergency medical services workers, and some information about the influence of these factors on their immune systems.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brewczyńska
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Depczyńska
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetic Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borecka
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Winnicka
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kubiak
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Biostructure Centrum, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skopińska-Różewska
authors.affiliation: Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Centre, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Puławy, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niemcewicz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kocik
keywords: biological factors; chronic diseases; emergency medical staff; immune system