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Laboratory-acquired lethal infections by potential bioweapons pathogens including Ebola in 2014

Simon Silver1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois, 835 S. Wolcott, Chicago, IL 60612, USA simon@uic.edu.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|March 20, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Laboratory-acquired infections pose risks, with recent cases involving dangerous pathogens like smallpox, Ebola, plague, anthrax, and meningitis, highlighting the need for stringent biosafety protocols.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) have a long history in microbiology.
  • Emerging infectious diseases and bioweapon concerns have heightened risks for laboratory workers.
  • Recent incidents underscore the persistent dangers of studying hazardous pathogens.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize recent significant laboratory-acquired infections and deaths.
  • To highlight the diverse range of pathogens involved in LAIs.
  • To emphasize the ongoing risks in diagnostic and research laboratories.

Main Methods:

  • Review and summary of five specific case examples of LAIs.
  • Inclusion of incidents involving viral and bacterial agents.
  • Focus on cases occurring in the early 21st century.

Main Results:

  • Smallpox virus escaped from a UK laboratory.
  • Five researchers died from Ebola virus in 2014.
  • Infections with Yersinia pestis (plague) and Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) occurred in a US lab.
  • A fatal Neisseria meningitidis infection (meningitis) occurred in California in 2012.

Conclusions:

  • Studying dangerous pathogens in laboratories continues to pose significant risks.
  • Enhanced biosafety measures are crucial to prevent LAIs.
  • These incidents necessitate ongoing vigilance and improved safety protocols in microbiology labs.
Keywords:
Bacillus anthraxEbola, Yersinia plagueNeisseria meningitislaboratory-acquired infectionssmallpox

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