Occupational Health for Wildlife Handlers
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Transcript Occupational Health for Wildlife Handlers
Wildlife Animal User Training
The University of Montana
Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee
Objectives
Ensuring safety
– Of you & your coworkers
– Of animals
Occupational
health program
Review of zoonotic
diseases of wildlife
Protecting Yourself
Situation awareness
– “Perception of environmental elements
within a volume of time and space, the
comprehension of their meaning, and the
projection of their status in the near future”
Endsley, M. R. (1995)
– “Knowing what is going on so you can
figure out what to do” Adam, E. C. (1993)
Situation Awareness
Necessary components
– Knowledge of environment, terrain & their
special concerns
– Anticipation of changing conditions
– Rapid collection & processing of new
information
– Training in how to respond appropriately
– Always staying alert & engaged
Special Environments
Desert/arid conditions
– Hyperthermia
– Dehydration
Winter/mountainous conditions
– Hypothermia
– Frostbite
– Avalanche
– Snow blindness
Lack of or Inadequate
Situation Awareness
One of the primary factors in accidents is
attributed to human error
Safety Training
Single most important component
of being prepared & staying safe
Training provided by principal
investigator (PI) may include
– Survival
– Injury prevention
– First aid
– Team communication
Common Field Injuries
Knee & ankle from
slips & falls
Stings & bites
– Known allergy?
carry MD-prescribed
epinephrine pen
(“epi pen”)
Muscle strain from lifting or falling
Common Field Injuries
Driving accidents can result in
serious injury or death
– Highway
– Off-road vehicles
ATVs, snow mobiles
Proper training
required
ALWAYS wear
a HELMET
Basic Personal Safety
Use appropriate
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
As necessary,
– Gloves
– Sturdy boots
– Eye protection
– Coveralls
– Mask or respirator
Basic Safety Principles
Sharps containers
small sizes available for
field work
Good hygiene
especially hands
waterless hand sanitizer
(2 & 4.5 oz bottles)
Protect human food and
water
Communicate with your
team
In Case of Accident . . .
Seek medical attention as necessary
Work related? tell medical provider
Worker’s comp claim
– Supervisor will have forms or find at
www.umt.edu/research/Eh/
workerscomp/accidentinvest1.docx
Accident reporting packet in glove box of
UM vehicles
Injury from Animals
Bites/scratches
– Clean & disinfect ASAP
– Consider aspirin, acetaminophen, or
ibuprofen for pain/inflammation
– Antibiotics from MD may be needed
Kicks/blunt trauma
– Large ruminants blows to the
head, chest or abdomen can cause
internal injuries
– First aid, then medical attention
Early Reporting of Injury
Absolutely imperative to inform
– Direct Supervisor
– Principal Investigator
– Co-workers when in remote field areas
Any unusual symptoms seek
medical help immediately
Best defense is a good offense
Provide a complete history to assist
physicians
Keeping Animals Safe
Situation
Awareness
Knowledge
Training
Co-workers
Group training in blood collection
before going to the field
Danger to You?
Danger to Them
Weather danger
– Heat
Overheating, dehydration
Heat stress (including fish) all magnified by
capture
Trap/capture cool times of day & provide shade
Provide moist food to prevent dehydration
Cool packs for drugged animals
Reduce stress minimize shrill noises, cover
eyes, monitor for shock
Weather Danger
– Cold
Hypothermia, slowed
metabolism & anesthetic
recovery
Warm packs for anesthetized
animals
Provide nest material for
warmth
Provide food for energy
Monitor body temperature &
vital signs
Euthanasia
IACUC requires each Animal Use Protocol
(AUP) to have a euthanasia contingency plan
for serious injury to animals
Serious injury – compound fractures, gaping
wounds to chest/abdomen, severe
unresponsive shock, head trauma – that
precludes survival in the wild
2013 AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia
www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Documents/euthanasia.pdf
Occupational Health
Why?
– Mandatory for UM to
maintain animal
research program
accreditation
Why us?
– Everyone listed on an
AUP must and any one
else interested may
participate
Risk Assessment
IACUC sponsored occupational health
monitoring program to protect you
Risk assessment performed by
occupational health physician based on
info you provide
All medical info stored confidentially at
physician’s office
www.umt.edu/research/compliance/IACUC/ohs/
riskassessment.php
Review: Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonosis review is a requirement for
accreditation of UM animal research
program
Zoonosis = disease that can be
transferred from animals to humans
Many of the diseases reviewed may be
transferred from tissues & body fluids
of dead or live animals
Rabies
Rhabdovirus
Fatal if no treatment
or vaccine protection
Infects all warmblooded mammals
Sylvatic rabies
wildlife in life cycle
Photo credits - CDC
“Mad” Rabies
Rabies
“Dumb” rabies
Wildlife
– Lose fear of humans
– Unusually “friendly”
– Uncharacteristic
places
– Uncharacteristic
times of day
– Neurological signs
–
Photo credits - CDC
Rabid fox
Rabies
Wildlife
reservoirs in US
–
–
–
–
Raccoons (38%)
Skunks (30%)
Bats (17%)
Foxes (6%)
Silver-haired bat
Rabies Incidence in U.S.
CDC
Rabies Transmission
Animal bites (virus in saliva)
Contamination of broken skin
Aerosol in bat caves
Corneal, liver, kidney transplant
from infected donor
1-2 human cases/year in U.S.
most often bat-associated
Rabies
Clinical Signs
75% humans ill < 90 days
after bite wound
Nausea, vomiting,
headache
Tingling and pain on side of
body where bite located
Furious and paralytic forms
Cause of death usually
respiratory failure during
paralytic phase
CDC
Negri bodies – large pink
inclusions in cytoplasm of
brain cells – diagnose Rabies
Rabies Prevention
Avoid close contact with wild animals
exhibiting unusual behavior
Consider pre-exposure immunization if
work is high-risk
Report animal bites immediately: post-
exposure treatment should start
within 24 hours
Hantavirus
Hemorrhagic fever
with renal syndrome
(HFRS)
1993 - Hantavirus
pulmonary
syndrome (HPS)
Sin Nombre virus
Wildlife reservoir -
CDC
Peromyscus
maniculatus
CDC
Sin Nombre Incidence 2013
Sin Nombre Transmission
Aerosol of deer mouse urine or
feces
Contaminated hands mucous
membranes
Contaminated food
Bite transmission rare
30-35% fatality rate
Sin Nombre
Clinical Signs
Incubation 9 to 33
days
High fever, malaise,
muscle or joint
aches, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea,
headaches,
respiratory distress,
cough
CDC
Early stage of disease
Middle stage of disease CDC
Sin Nombre Prevention
Personal protective equipment
– Gloves, coveralls, boots
Work upwind of animals
Work in the sun, if possible
Wear a respirator
– Fit-test through Environmental
Health & Risk Management
Plague
Yersinia pestis
Nonmotile, Gram –
rod
“Black Death”
3 forms (mortality):
– Bubonic
– Septicemic (5-50%)
– Pneumonic (20%)
CDC
Gangrene of fingers – a
complication of plague
Prairie Dog
Plague
> 200 species rodent
reservoirs: prairie
dogs, rats, marmots,
hares, chipmunks,
ground squirrels
Xenopsylla cheopis
rat flea – regurgitates
up to 20,000 plague
bacteria from
“blocked” gut
CDC
CDC
Plague in Animals
Pin-point
hemorrhage
petechiae
Swollen lymph
nodes
Respiratory
disease
Photo credits - CDC
Plague Transmission
Bites of infected rodent fleas
Entry into breaks in skin when
handling infected rodents or
rabbits; wild carnivores that eat
infected prey
Domestic cats highly susceptible
– aerosol or handling
Dogs and cats can carry rat fleas
Plague
Clinical Signs
Illness 2-6 days
after infection
Swollen lymph
gland, fever, chills,
headache,
extreme
exhaustion
Photo credits - CDC
Plague Clinical Signs
Cough, bloody
sputum,
increased
heart rate,
shock, DIC
Gangrene of
fingers and
toes
CDC
1 month after finger amputation
for gangrene
Plague Prevention
Prevent flea infestation
Handle wild rodents with
appropriate PPE
Do not handle wild rodents with
petechial hemorrhages
Four Corners area of the US high
incidence
Tularemia
Francisella
tularensis
Aerobic, gram coccobacillus
> 10 organisms
1.4% fatality rate
Arthropods in life
cycle
CDC
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
“Brown dog tick”
Tularemia Transmission
Bites by infected arthropods
– Ticks
Handling infectious tissues
Contaminated food, water, soil
Inhalation of infective aerosols
No human to human transmission
Tularemia Clinical Signs
Fever, headache,
chills, body aches
(low back), nasal
discharge, sore
throat
Substernal pain,
cough, anorexia,
weight loss,
weakness
CDC
CDC
Tularemia Prevention
Personal
protective
equipment when
skinning hares or
rodents
Check for ticks
daily & remove
Use repellants if
possible
CDC
Wild hare – common culprit for
disease transmission to hunters
from bare-handed field skinning
West Nile Virus
Flavivirus
Horses &
humans
encephalitis
Bird reservoirs:
corvids
Spread by
mosquitoes
CDC
CDC
Ochlerotatus japonicus
WNV Clinical Signs
Incubation 3-14 days
80% infected humans show no
symptoms
20% mild symptoms: fever,
headache, body aches, nausea,
rash
1 in 150 infected severe
disease (e.g., stupor, coma,
convulsions, paralysis)
West Nile Virus in the U.S.
As of December 3, 2013
Legend
Positive Test Results
No Positive Test Results
Cumulative Total Entire Country: 2,318
West Nile Virus Prevention
Long-sleeved shirts and long pants,
when possible
Bug Tamer™ apparel (Shannon
Outdoors, Inc)
Mosquito repellant – DEET for skin
Avoid dusk to dawn hours outside
Avoid areas of standing water
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-155/
Q Fever
CDC
Coxiella burnetti
Sheep, goats,
cattle
1 organism can
cause disease
Placental tissues
Spread by
– Aerosol
– Hands
CDC
Q Fever Clinical Signs
50% infected get ill in 2-3 weeks
30-50% infected get pneumonia
Headache, malaise, muscle aches,
confusion, GI signs, weight loss,
hepatitis
1-2% fatality rate
Chronic infection endocarditis
65% chronic cases end in death
LCM
Lymphocytic
choriomeningitis virus
5% Mus musculus in
US; wild mice; pet
hamsters
Saliva, urine, feces of
infected rodents
Mucous membranes,
broken skin, bites
Hamster
Peromyscus sp.
LCM Clinical Signs
Humans showing illness signs 8-13
days post-infection
Early: biphasic fever, malaise, muscle
aches, headache, nausea, vomiting
Later: headache, stiff neck, confusion,
neurological signs
Early pregnancy: abortion or fetal birth
defects
Fatality rate < 1%