Coxiella Burnetii
Coxiella Burnetii
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET – INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES
SECTION I – INFECTIOUS AGENT
NAME: Coxiella burnetii
SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Q fever, Query fever, Rickettsia
CHARACTERISTICS: Pleomorphic, gram-negative, intracellular, bacteria-like organism
SECTION II – HEALTH HAZARD
PATHOGENICITY: Acute febrile disease; sudden onset, chills, headache, weakness, malaise, severe sweats; pneumonitis, pericarditis, hepatitis, generalized infections; chronic infection mainly involves endocarditis; up to half of infections are asymptomatic; < l% case fatality rate, self-limiting infection
EPIDEMIOLOGY: Worldwide; incidence is probably greater than reported; endemic in many areas; explosive epidemics occurred in stockyards, meat packing plants and medical labs using sheep for research; common cases in researchers and visitors
HOST RANGE: Humans, cattle, sheep, goats
INFECTIOUS DOSE: 10 organisms by inhalation route
MODE OF TRANSMISSION: Commonly by airborne dissemination of rickettsiae in dust from contaminated premises; airborne organisms may be carried>1/2 mile downwind; by direct contact with infected animals and their birth products (especially sheep), wool from sheep, straw, fertilizer and laundry of exposed persons; raw milk from infected cows has been responsible in some cases
INCUBATION PERIOD: Depends on size of the infectious dose; usually 2-3 weeks
COMMUNICABILITY: Direct transmission from person to person is very rare, but may occur in cases of pneumonia
SECTION III – DISSEMINATION
RESERVOIR: Sheep, cattle, goats, ticks, some wild animals (bandicoots); infected domestic animals are usually asymptomatic but shed massive numbers of organisms at parturition
ZOONOSIS: Yes – direct contact with infected animals (particularly placenta and placental fluids); inhalation of aerosols from infected animals, bedding, dust, etc.
VECTORS: Ticks – several species (transmit C. burnetii to domestic animals but not to humans)
SECTION IV – VIABILITY
DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Resistant to many antibiotics; tetracycline, chloramphenicol and rifampin may be effective
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Resistance to disinfectants documented; reported susceptibility to sodium hypochlorite, formalin, phenols varies; susceptible to ethanol, glutaraldehyde and gaseous formaldehyde (humidity control is essential)
PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Resists elevated temperatures, dessication, osmotic shock, UV; inactivated by ether, chloroform, gamma irradiation, 130°C for 60 min.
SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Extremely resistant to drying and is stable under a variety of environmental conditions; survives for months and even years in the environment; dried sputum – 30 days; dust – up to 120 days; dried urine of guinea pig – 49 days; feces of tick 586 days; milk – 42 months at 4-6°C; wool 12-16 months at 4-6°C
SECTION V – MEDICAL
SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms of infection: confirm by serological testing
FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Antibiotic therapy
IMMUNIZATION: Investigational new Phase I Q fever vaccine (IND) available from USAMRIID; recommended for those at high risk (work with live C. burnetii and sheep) of exposure who have no demonstrated sensitivity to Q fever antigen; Australian vaccine also found to be effective
PROPHYLAXIS: Antibiotic prophylaxis not shown to be effective
SECTION VI – LABORATORY HAZARDS
LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: Second most commonly reported laboratory infection with outbreaks involving 15 or more persons recorded in several institutions; 278 reported cases with 1death
SOURCES/SPECIMENS: A wide range of domestic and wild mammals are natural hosts and may serve as potential source of infection to laboratory and animal care personnel; infected arthropods; blood, urine, feces, milk, and tissues of infected animal or human hosts; placenta of infected sheep may contain millions of organisms/gram tissue; milk may contain 100,000 organisms/gram
PRIMARY HAZARDS: Parenteral inoculation; exposure to infectious aerosols and droplets
SPECIAL HAZARDS: Exposure to naturally infected and often asymptomatic sheep and to their birth products is a documented hazard to personnel
SECTION VII – RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS
CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices and containment for nonpropagative laboratory procedures, including serological examinations and staining of impression smears; biosafety level 3 practices and facilities for activities involving the inoculation, incubation, and harvesting of embryonated eggs or tissue cultures, the necropsy of infected animals and the manipulation of infected tissues
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Laboratory coat; gloves and gown (tight wrists and fastened in back) when working with the agent; masks may also be used
OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Since infected guinea pigs and other rodents may shed the organisms in urine or feces, experimentally infected rodents should be maintained under Animal Biosafety Level 3
SECTION VIII – HANDLING INFORMATION
SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wear protective clothing; gently cover spill with paper towels and apply 1% sodium hypochlorite, starting at perimeter and working towards the centre; allow sufficient contact time (30-60 min) before clean up
DISPOSAL: Decontaminate all wastes before disposal: incineration (animal wastes), steam sterilization
STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labelled
SECTION IX – MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Date prepared: January 2000
Prepared by: Office of Laboratory Security, PHAC
Although the information, opinions and recommendations contained in this Material Safety Data Sheet are compiled from sources believed to be reliable, we accept no responsibility for the accuracy, sufficiency, or reliability or for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information. Newly discovered hazards are frequent and this information may not be completely up to date.
Copyright © Health Canada, 2001
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