Cryptococcus Neoformans
Cryptococcus Neoformans
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET – INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES
SECTION I – INFECTIOUS AGENT
NAME: Cryptococcus neoformans
SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Cryptococcosis, Torulosis, European blastomycosis
CHARACTERISTICS: Yeast; often budding, surrounded by a wide mucopolysaccharide capsule
SECTION II – HEALTH HAZARD
PATHOGENICITY: Mycosis presenting as a subacute or chronic meningitis; infection of lung, kidney, prostate, bone or liver may occur; skin lesions, ulcers or subcutaneous tumour-like masses; untreated meningitis terminates fatally within several months
EPIDEMIOLOGY: Sporadic cases occur worldwide; males infected twice as frequently as females, mainly adults; important mycosis in immunocompromised patients leg. (Patients with AIDS or severe combined immunodeficiency)
HOST RANGE: Humans; cats, dogs, horses, cows, monkeys and other animals
INFECTIOUS DOSE: Low level of pathogenicity for normal immunocompetent adults
MODE OF TRANSMISSION: Presumably by inhalation
INCUBATION PERIOD: Unknown; pulmonary disease may precede brain infection by months or years
COMMUNICABILITY: Not transmitted directly from person to person
SECTION III – DISSEMINATION
RESERVOIR: Saprophytic growth in external environment; isolated consistently from old pigeon nests, pigeon droppings and from soil in many parts of world
ZOONOSIS: Not transmitted from animals to humans
VECTORS: None
SECTION IV – VIABILITY
DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Sensitive to amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, fluconazole, ketoconazole
DRUG RESISTANCE: Resistant strains to all of the above drugs have been isolated
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to 1% sodium hypochlorite, iodine, phenolics, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde; susceptibility to 70% ethanol questionable
PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Inactivated by moist heat (121°C for at least 15 min)
SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Survives for months to years, especially in pigeon droppings
SECTION V – MEDICAL
SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms; confirm by microscopic examination of specimens (usually CSF, may also be present in urine or pus); confirm by culture or histopathology
FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Combination therapy with amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine or ketoconazole
IMMUNIZATION: None
PROPHYLAXIS: None
SECTION VI – LABORATORY HAZARDS
LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: Respiratory infections from laboratory exposure not recorded; 1 recorded case as a result of laceration by a scalpel blade contaminated with encapsulated yeast cells
SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Clinical specimens and tissues (blood, CSF); soil, pigeon droppings and other environmental sources
PRIMARY HAZARDS: Accidental parenteral inoculation of cultures or other infectious materials; bites by experimentally infectious mice; manipulations of infectious environmental materials (pigeon droppings) also represent a potential hazard
SPECIAL HAZARDS: Immunocompromised individuals are particularly at risk
SECTION VII – RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS
CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices, containment equipment and facilities are recommended for activities with known or potentially infectious materials; processing of soil or other environmental materials likely to contain infectious yeast cells should be conducted in a biological safety cabinet
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Laboratory coat; gloves when direct contact with infectious materials is unavoidable
OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Good sanitation, cleaning and disinfection important
SECTION VIII – HANDLING INFORMATION
SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, gently cover spill with paper towels and apply sodium hypochlorite, starting at perimeter and working towards the centre; allow sufficient contact time (30 min) before clean up
DISPOSAL: Decontaminate before disposal; steam sterilization, incineration, chemical disinfection
STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labelled
SECTION IX – MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Date prepared: February 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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