• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

S

scottmcpherson

Resident
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/03/07/1914_news.html

Daniel Breen

07Mar07

Geelong's CSIRO
THREE scientists have been exposed to bird flu in a safety suit bungle at Geelong's animal health laboratory.

The CSIRO scientists had infected live ducks with the H5N1 strain of bird flu before killing them to assess the impact of the virus about 1pm Monday.

But the experiment went pear shaped about 1pm Monday when the scientists released that they had failed to reactivate air filters in their specially designed suits, increasing their risk of exposure to the deadly virus.

The trio were immediately removed from the laboratory and taken away for testing and treatment.

CSIRO media liaison manager Marilyn Chalkley said the treatment was precautionary and blood tests showed no signs of infection.

``There were three employees and there was some concern that they might have been infected. They were given blood tests and those tests showed that they were virus free,'' Ms Chalkley said.

``They had been doing some testing on ducks and there was a faint possibility that they may have been infected in the laboratory. They were taken to Geelong Hospital and they were discharged after an hour.''

Another CSIRO source said the incident could have been far worse if the ducks were alive.

``For the virus to spread it has to be in something living, so the chances of it getting airborne were pretty slim,'' the source said.

The trio will continue anti-viral treatment as a precaution, with two of the workers set to spend the next seven days at home.

The third member has been completely cleared of infection and is not required to remain in isolation.

Department of Human Services spokesman Bram Alexander said the trio's health would be monitored and that the general public had nothing to worry about.

``Their health will be monitored as a precaution and the important thing is that there is no wider public health issue with this,'' Mr Alexander said.

``This is not a strain that is easily transferrable human-to-human. The experiment has occurred in a closed laboratory, where the strain cannot get out into the environment, and the circumstances are an issue for the CSIRO to look at.''

Bird flu, or avian influenza as it is known in medical circles, first emerged as an international health threat when human infections occurred across Asia in 1997.

Most human cases have resulted from contact with diseased poultry.
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

Blue talked me into something. Blue picked up quickly on a quote in the story from someone in the plant about not worrying, because the birds were dead and the virus would not get airborne.

Maybe someone should ask the families of the four or five kids who died from inhaling H5N1 virus directly off the feathers of dead swans in Azerbaijan last year. Hypothetically, those CSIRO workers could pick up virus from the dead ducks' feathers, too. Maybe the masks and lack of immediate proximity would shield them, but those kids would disagree with the premise of the quote.

Two news stories and FluTrackers post:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=40063

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1805813,00.html

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=48185&postcount=9
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

I hope CSIRO issues a clarifying media release. The time sequence of events is unclear , e.g. did this all happen at 1pm on Monday? If so the testing is puzzling as I cannot think of a blood test that could show anything the first day of exposure. The observations on transmission as noted By Scott above also needs to be addressed.
I went to the CSIRO web site and found no mention of the incident.
I could not identify the source for the news article.
JT
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/scientists-in-bird-flu-scare/2007/03/07/1173166752349.html

Two scientists are being monitored after they were exposed to the potentially fatal bird flu virus at a Victorian laboratory.

Three staff were tested after being exposed to the virus while doing research work at the CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong, west of Melbourne.

Director Martyn Jeggo said one person has been released from quarantine, while another two are being monitored as a precaution.

He said there is no evidence they were ever infected with the virus.
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

Hat-tip Siam

Victorian scientists exposed to bird flu

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=68088

Wednesday Mar 7 11:31 AEDT

Two scientists are being monitored after they were exposed to the potentially fatal bird flu virus at a Victorian laboratory.

A third scientist at the CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong, west of Melbourne, has been released from quarantine.

The staff were exposed to the virus while doing research work at the lab.

Director Dr Martyn Jeggo said the staff had undergone testing and there was no evidence they had been infected with the virus.


The alarm was raised at about 1pm (AEDT) on Monday when a female animal handler donned a special suit without a special air filter.

It was discovered two other staff - a female senior technician and a male animal handler - had donned the same suit during the course of the research on infected live ducks.

The trio have been given antiviral treatment.

"All have been tested and all tests are negative to date," Dr Jeggo said.

"We're dealing with a very, very low risk indeed."

Safety procedures were in place but an investigation was under way to determine what went wrong, Dr Jeggo said.

The incident was likely to have been caused by human error, he said.

Dr Jeggo said all staff had been spoken to ensure safety procedures were followed, adding the procedures may need reviewing to ensure they were adhered to in future.

There was no evidence the virus transmitted to humans, he said.
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

Having visited the BSL3 facility and seen the safety precautions they take, I am surprised this happened. Still, depending on what exactly the scientists were doing with the dead birds, I wouldn't think they would have been in any huge danger. I bet they won't let that happen again!:oem I am also perplexed about seemingly ruling out infection after such a short interval since exposure. It doesn't serve the public well thinking conclusive tests can be carried out so quickly...
kenny
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

The real question for me is, how often do such "mistakes" happen in secure labs around the world?

According to the posts here, the Geelong Advertiser, a supermarket tabloid, was the first to "break" the story. Front Page here: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/extras/GeelongFrontPage.pdf Isn't it in the best interests of tabloids to sensationalize the news?

Maybe KBD, who seems to have first hand knowledge of the lab, is correct in that this is not a major incident.
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

http://www.skynews.com.au/story.asp?id=157974

Victorians have been reassured they're not at risk from the bird flu virus, after a scare involving three scientists in Geelong.

The CSIRO researchers became exposed, but have been cleared of any infection.

Two animal handlers and a senior technician, had to be treated and quarantined after becoming exposed to the deadly virus.

'Of course there's concern, there is always concern in these types of incidents. And that's why we've put in place our full procedures for dealing with this.' said Dr Martyn Jeggo from the CSIRO Animal Health Lab.

As part of the experiment, five ducks had been infected with the H5N1 strain of the virus.

But on Monday, one of the scientists, discovered a special air filter at the back of their safety headsuit, was missing.

They were treated at Geelong hospital where blood and saliva samples cleared them of infection.
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

Laidback Al,
Exactly the right point! I recall reading where the 1977 pandemic of H1N1 (pandemic for anyone under age 25, according to Dr. Edwin Kilbourne and others) was caused by the accidental release of H1N1 from a Soviet lab; hence the nickname "Russian Flu."

In the 1977 case, of course, the virus was already primed for human to human transmission. But this one -- who knows?
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

I'm curious about 1 out of 3 scientists being released from quarantine/isolation. Why is one cleared and the other 2 are not? Was their exposure different with respect to time, proximity, other? :confused:
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

Bird flu scientists isolated

Jane Metlikovec, health reporter

March 08, 2007 12:00am




TWO scientists exposed to bird flu after sharing a faulty lab-suit are being monitored while another has been given the all-clear.
A female senior technician has returned to work at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong, while two animal handlers, a male and a female, have been ordered to remain at home in isolation as a precaution.

The trio had been involved in an experiment on ducks infected with a South-East Asian strain of the avian flu when it was discovered on Monday that an air filter in one of the protective suits was missing.

The aim of the research was to better understand the risk of a bird flu outbreak to Australia.

The three were taken to the Geelong Hospital where they were given anti-viral treatment and underwent testing.

All had tested negative to the virus by Tuesday.

The two animal handlers in home quarantine are receiving daily blood tests and are showing no symptoms.

The male is expected to be released by Saturday, and the female by Monday -- both seven days after they were last in contact with the ducks.

Victoria's chief health officer Dr Rob Hall yesterday defended the decision to wait two days before making the information public, saying the risk of an outbreak was "very, very low".

"Firstly, these people have all tested negative to bird flu, they don't have symptoms, and secondly, this is a bird flu virus that they were doing work on which doesn't have a track record of infecting people," Dr Hall said.

"If we thought that there was a possibility of an outbreak then we would certainly make announcements, but it has been our view that this does not pose an infectious risk."

Both the Department of Human Services and the CSIRO are now conducting separate investigations into the lab-suit blunder.

Laboratory director Dr Martyn Jeggo said safety procedures were in place and the incident was likely to have been caused by human error.

He said the three scientists were in good spirits.

"We are in daily contact with them and they are all very relaxed," Dr Jeggo said.

Dr Jeggo said all staff had been spoken to, to ensure safety procedures were followed, and that procedures may need reviewing to ensure they were adhered to in future.

Dr Hall said he was unsure if the facility could be fined over the incident.

"We have to look at what actually happened then we will be making our decisions on the basis of what we find," Dr Hall said.
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21342878-2862,00.html

Jane Metlikovec, health reporter

March 08, 2007 12:00am


TWO scientists exposed to bird flu after sharing a faulty lab-suit are being monitored while another has been given the all-clear.
A female senior technician has returned to work at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong, while two animal handlers, a male and a female, have been ordered to remain at home in isolation as a precaution.

The trio had been involved in an experiment on ducks infected with a South-East Asian strain of the avian flu when it was discovered on Monday that an air filter in one of the protective suits was missing.

The aim of the research was to better understand the risk of a bird flu outbreak to Australia.

The three were taken to the Geelong Hospital where they were given anti-viral treatment and underwent testing.

All had tested negative to the virus by Tuesday.

The two animal handlers in home quarantine are receiving daily blood tests and are showing no symptoms.

The male is expected to be released by Saturday, and the female by Monday -- both seven days after they were last in contact with the ducks.

Victoria's chief health officer Dr Rob Hall yesterday defended the decision to wait two days before making the information public, saying the risk of an outbreak was "very, very low".

"Firstly, these people have all tested negative to bird flu, they don't have symptoms, and secondly, this is a bird flu virus that they were doing work on which doesn't have a track record of infecting people," Dr Hall said.

"If we thought that there was a possibility of an outbreak then we would certainly make announcements, but it has been our view that this does not pose an infectious risk."

Both the Department of Human Services and the CSIRO are now conducting separate investigations into the lab-suit blunder.

Laboratory director Dr Martyn Jeggo said safety procedures were in place and the incident was likely to have been caused by human error.

He said the three scientists were in good spirits.

"We are in daily contact with them and they are all very relaxed," Dr Jeggo said.

Dr Jeggo said all staff had been spoken to, to ensure safety procedures were followed, and that procedures may need reviewing to ensure they were adhered to in future.

Dr Hall said he was unsure if the facility could be fined over the incident.

"We have to look at what actually happened then we will be making our decisions on the basis of what we find," Dr Hall said
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/03/08/1940_news.html

TWO GEELONG lab technicians exposed to bird flu will sit out the incubationdanger period in virtual solitude away from family and friends.

Infectious disease specialists have told them to stay isolated in home quarantine while a Department of Human Services doctor monitors their health.

Four investigations were launched into the incident yesterday after the Geelong Advertiser reported that workers were exposed to bird flu virus at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Moolap.

The government science research body went into damage control yesterday, saying the incident was due to human error and a breakdown of the buddy system in which workers double-check each other's safety equipment.

But while the country's top scientists say there's little chance the two have been infected, they don't want the risk of anyone else being exposed.

CSIRO animal health laboratory director Dr Martyn Jeggo yesterday revealed that the researchers had been involved in a fairly straight-forward procedure of infecting live ducks with a South-East Asian form of H5N1 to see if the birds would excrete the virus.

But the experiment went awry on Monday when a female animal handler exited the chamber about 1pm to discover a mandatory air filter was not attached to her safety breathing apparatus.

It was discovered two other staff _ a female senior technician and a male animal handler _ had donned the same suit during the course of the research.

The three people were rushed to Geelong Hospital for blood tests and were administered the bird flu drug Tamiflu.

``Those results were available within five hours and to date all the results are negative for the presence of any virus infection,'' Dr Jeggo said.

``As we thought in the first place, the risk is low, it doesn't exist.

``But, as a precaution, we agreed to put them into quarantine at home.

``We have to remember that this was known to be infectious to poultry, but has no known history of infecting humans at all.''

The female animal handler only used the suit on the first day of the 10-day experiment, so was cleared to return to work yesterday.

``The other two are still in quarantine, but we fully anticipate, assuming no untoward events, one of them should be out Friday and the other one next week, probably Monday or Tuesday.''

Despite the fact he was confident no one had been infected, he was taking the incident seriously and re-examining all procedures and practices at the facility.

``Clearly there was a procedure for both people to check each other's gear . . . (but) there was an oversight on this occasion,'' he said. ``I think we are in a position to say this was human error.''
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

THREE CSIRO workers exposed to the deadly bird flu virus are back at work after being given the all-clear.

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/03/15/2150_news.html

Two females and one male scientist were quarantined last week after wearing a safety suit without an air filter while working with the virus at Geelong's animal health laboratory.

The scientists had worn the suit into an animal treatment room that contained ducks which had been infected with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu and then killed.

Acting director of the laboratory Gordon Abraham said the workers had spent between one and seven days in home quarantine.

Dr Abraham said a period of seven days from the time of possible exposure had to pass before doctors could be sure the scientists had not been infected.

Their quarantine period then depended on the last time the scientists had worn the suit into the animal treatment room.

The first female scientist was released a day after the safety bungle, the male last Friday and the second female on Tuesday.

During quarantine, they were asked to report any adverse effects, take their temperatures, and speak daily with a Department of Human Services' physician.


The scientists had to avoid contact with other people during the quarantine period and Dr Abraham said the two women yesterday spoke to senior CSIRO staff members about the experience.

``Generally they said it can be a little bit lonely and restrictive, and they could get frustrated,'' he said.

``Towards the end they were a bit on edge, but in reality they're in high spirits to get back at work.''

The scientists were assessed by a physician at Geelong Hospital and took a course of anti-viral drugs while at home.

Four investigations into the safety bungle are being carried out. A full report into the incident is expected by the end of next week.
 
Re: CSIRO workers exposed to bird flu

March 15, 2007 - 11:54AM

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Natio...rd-flu-allclear/2007/03/15/1173722614101.html

Three CSIRO workers exposed to the bird flu virus at a laboratory south-west of Melbourne have returned to work after being given the medical all-clear.

Two females and one male scientist were quarantined last week after wearing a safety suit without an air filter while working with the H5N1 strain of the virus at CSIRO's Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong.

CSIRO microbiological security officer Dr Gordon Abraham said the scientists were cleared to return to work this week.

"They're all out of quarantine. The last one came out of quarantine on Tuesday and she came back to work on Wednesday (yesterday)," Dr Abraham said.

The alarm was raised about 1pm (AEDT) on March 5, when a female animal handler donned a special suit without an air filter.

It was discovered two other staff - a female senior technician and a male animal handler - had donned the same suit into an animal treatment room that contained ducks which had been infected with the virus.

Dr Abraham said the trio had been given anti-viral treatment and were quarantined at their homes for seven days.

"They had to stay at home and away from other people," he said.

"For example one of the ladies ended up staying by herself ... and her supervisor took around some cakes over the weekend.

"And they saw each other from long distance."

He said that during the quarantine period the scientists had to report any adverse effects, take their temperatures and speak daily with a Department of Human Services' doctor.

"It was only ever precautionary and we had medical assessments for all of them and they were put on the drug Tamiflu," Dr Abraham said.

"The physician that examined them all was quite happy.

"There was no sign of influenza and so all of the tests have come up negative."

The CSIRO said that safety procedures were in place, but an investigation was continuing to determine what went wrong.

"We've got several reports and hopefully they will come together at the end of next week and we can then consolidate them," he said.

He said that all staff had been spoken to, to ensure safety procedures were followed, adding the procedures may need reviewing to ensure they were adhered to in future.

"It was always a low risk that any of them were going to come down with the influenza because it rarely ever transmits from birds to humans."

© 2007
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top