Biosafety: Animal Allergens 101

Triumvirate Environmental presents:

Steps You Can Take to Ensure the Safety of Your Employees

Meet Your Moderator

Sasha Laferte

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During This Webinar

Meet Your Presenter

Mark LiffersEH&S Consultant

Triumvirate Environmental

AgendaLaboratory Animal Allergy

Exposure Risks

Controls

Case Studies

Laboratory Animal Allergy (LAA)

Allergic reaction to animals is among the most common conditions that adversely affect pharmaceutical research workers.

Laboratory Animal Allergy (Cont’d)Symptoms:• Nasal symptoms (allergic rhinitis)• Itchy eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)• Rashes (contact urticaria, atopy)

Mouse Allergen

The major mouse allergen is Mus m 1, or mouse urinary protein.

Rat Allergen

Rat n 1 is a known human allergen, protein appears to be in the urine and saliva of the animal.

AgendaLaboratory Animal Allergy

Exposure Risks

Controls

Case Studies

Routes of Exposure

1. Inhalation of aeroallergens

2. Contaminated bedding

3. Direct skin and eye contact

Assessing Potential RiskWhat are “typical” exposures?

What tasks have the highest risk?

Assessing Potential Risk (Cont’d)

Activities most associated with allergen exposure are:• Handling animals and cages with bedding

without ventilation • Manual cage changing • Dumping soiled bedding

Source: Thulin et al British Occupational Hygiene Society, 2002

What is a “Safe” Level?• S. Gordon (formerly IOM) recommended maintaining

exposures at or below 5 ng/m3

-Feasible controls for rodent allergens

-Reduced risk of LAA at this level - study of 458 • Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Standards

recommended a health based OEL-TWA ~ 4.5 ng/m3 • LAA risk reduced but not eliminated; still risk that a small

number of people will develop LAA

Monitoring Can Be UsefulNo OSHA Standard Method for allergens –

BUT…

• Allergens attach to particles and can be hazardous when deposited anywhere in the respiratory tract

• Inhalable and Respirable fraction includes particulate matter that enter the head airways region, including the nose and mouth

IOM Sampler

Labs for Analysis

• DACI (Dermatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology) laboratory at Johns Hopkins

• EMLab P&K• Wisconsin Occupational

Health Laboratory• Call and discuss with the lab!

AgendaLaboratory Animal Allergy

Exposure Risks

Controls

Case Studies

Hierarchy of Controls

• Engineering • Ventilation, substitution, eliminate the hazard

• Safe Work Practices – • Changing the way the work is done or by adding a tool to

help. Remote entry. • Administration –

• Rotating workers more often to reduce exposure times, occupational health program

• PPE • Respirators, gloves, hearing protection, etc.

BEST

WORST

Engineering Controls

• Enclosure• Dilution ventilation • Cage designs • Containment

equipment, such as: • Biosafety cabinets• Cage changing stations• Bedding dump stations

Engineering Controls

Filter Top Cage

Ventilated Cage Rack

BiosafetyCabinet

Cage Charging Station

Administrative & Work Practice Controls

• Reduce time with animal• Reduce density of animals• Good housekeeping practices• Wet mopping in place of vacuuming or sweeping

• Procedures that minimize release of airborne materials

Establishing an Occupational Medical Program for Allergy Surveillance

Job Hazard Analyses

Select Occupational Health Clinic

Develop Occupational Health Questionnaire

Written Occupational Medicine Program

Ongoing Surveillance

Job Hazard AnalysesWho will be included in the allergy surveillance program?

• Animal Husbandry staff• Custodial staff• Researchers• Facilities Group• EH&S• IACUC members

• Outside Service Contractors need to be notified of potential hazards• HVAC• Autoclave• Cagewasher

Lab Animal Handler Questionnaire

• Job title / Description• Hx of work with animals• Tetanus status• Allergies?

• Seasonal• Latex• Animals

• When working with animals do you:• Sneeze, cough• Runny nose• Itchy eyes• Wheeze• Hives• Chest tightness / SOB

• Do symptoms go away when you leave work?

Occ Health Review

• MD evaluates questionnaire

• May request physical exam

• May require PFTs• May suggest

allergy testing• May require

tetanus booster• Will recommend

PPE needed

• May require tetanus booster

• Will recommend PPE needed

• May establish medical restrictions

• Questionnaire should be re-administered annually & if symptoms develop

Reporting & Follow Up• Symptoms should be reported promptly to your supervisor so that

medical follow-up can be initiated• Once animal allergy develops, the affected worker should minimize

any additional allergen exposure to prevent progression of allergy symptoms

Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal

Care International

Personal Protective Equipment

N-95 Respirator for Allergen Protection

Face mask (N-95 Respirator) to reduce inhalation and hand-to-face

spread of allergens

OSHA Respiratory Protection Std.

1910.134

Written Program

Annual Training

Proper Respirator Selection

Medical Clearance

Annual Fit Testing

Must Use Properly to Work! N-95 Respirator

AgendaLaboratory Animal Allergy

Exposure Risks

Controls

Case Studies

Exposure to Laboratory Rats

• 21-year-old female worker at a pharmaceutical company • Symptoms included hives on her forearms and hands• The worker then began to suffer episodes of sneezing, nasal

drainage, watery eyes, and chest tightness• She was transferred to another department, where her

symptoms ceased• The worker had positive skin tests to animal dander and to rat

hair.• She also had elevated antibodies (IgE) to various rat proteins

[DeGroot and Messerschmidt 1984].

Exposure to Various Animals

• 38 students were examined during their first year of training as laboratory technicians (median age was 21 years)

• They were re-examined after working with various laboratory animals (primarily rats, mice, and rabbits) for an average of 18 months

• 9 students (24%) had developed allergies to laboratory animals• Symptoms included: nasal and eye irritation, skin rashes, and chest

problems • Of the 9 students with animal allergies, 7 had reactions to rat or

mouse antigen in skin-prick tests, and 8 showed asthma-like reactions during lung testing [Renstrom et al. 1995]

Wrap Up

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Sources• NIOSH Alert – Preventing Asthma in Animal Handlers

January 1998 DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-116

www.cdc.gov/niosh/animalrt.html

• Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NRC 2011) http://www.aaalac.org/resources/theguide.cfm