BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

(Occupational exposure to infectious organisms)

LECTURE 9

By Fares J.B, Department of Biosciences

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 Introduction
 Biological hazards are organisms or products of organisms (or organic
matter) that are harmful to humans.

 BH can be encountered anywhere in the environment, including home,

school or work.

 Exposure to biological hazards in the workplace may result in a significant

amount of occupationally associated disease, although they not always
recognized in the work setting.
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 Intro…

 Micro-organisms are found virtually everywhere in the natural

environment.
 Most of these are harmless to humans and do many important jobs.
 For instance;
o They are used to make medicine.

o They can break down the oil from oil spills.

o They make about half of the oxygen we breathe.

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 Into……
 Infections at work are those created by exposure to harmful micro-
organisms such as Bacteria, Fungi, Viruses, Parasites, and other infectious
proteins. Other concern may include Insects (biting)
 These are called 'biological agents' in health and safety legislation.
 The harmful effects posed to human health by these biological hazards are
mainly of three types
 INFECTION (with the micro-organism),

 POISONING (exposure to toxins produced by the micro-organism) OR

 ALLERGY (reaction to the micro-organism or substances it produces)

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 Intro…..

 Workers may come into contact with micro-organisms at work because

they intentionally work with them, e.g. in a microbiology laboratory.

 But they are more likely to be exposed as a result of the kind of work they
do, e.g. as a farmer, or a healthcare worker

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 Occupation infections

 OI are those human diseases caused by work-associated exposure to microbial

agents, including
 viruses
 Bacteria
 fungi
 **parasites (protozoa, helmints)

 What distinguishes an infection as occupational is some aspect of the work that

involves contact with a biologically active organism.
 An occupational disease is a health problem caused by exposure to a workplace
health hazard.
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 Definitions – ILO 1993
 Occupational diseases
 Having a specific or a strong relation to occupation generally with only one causal agent and

recognized as such

 Work-related diseases
 With multiple causal agents, where factors in the work environment may play a role, together

with other risk factors, in the development of such diseases, which have a complex etiology

 Diseases affecting working populations

 Without causal relationship with work but which may be aggravated by occupational hazards

to health

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 Kinds of occupational infections

1. Infections with interhumans transmission

 Infections due to exposure to infected human or their tissues

 Healthcare and clinical laboratory workers are at increased risk of infection by organisms whose
natural hosts are humans
 E.g. Viral hepatitis A,B,C, HIV, scabies, EB virus, epidemic, etc
 Teachers, policemen (TB, Influenza etc..)
2. Zoonoses – infections transmitted from animals to humans
 Diseases, that infect both humans and animals.
 This can be due to contact with
 infected animals, their infected secretions or tissues
 arthropod vectors from infected animals
 E.g. Anthrax, Brucellosis, Tularemia, tetanus, plague, rabies etc
3. Travel
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 Disease contraction at WP
 Factors that determine if a person will contract a disease and how bad it will be
include;-
 the dose,
 The type of organism and
 the resistance (or susceptibility) of the individual.
 Some organisms can live outside a host for hours or even days, while others
require a host to survive.
 Some organisms are very small and lightweight, remaining in the air for long
periods.
 Others quickly settle out onto surfaces, and are a contact concern. All of these
issues affect potential exposure.
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 Routes of Entry
 Biological hazards can enter the body by different routes.
 When determining appropriate protective measures, a clear understanding
of how biological hazards enter the body is an important first step.
 Biological hazards enter the body through:
 inhalation; i.e., breathing
 absorption; i.e., direct contact through breaks in the skin, even chapped skin, or
through mucous membranes/contact with eyes, nose, mouth
 ingestion; i.e., swallowing
 injection; i.e., through a puncture

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 Human Infections
o Respiratory infections: acute R.I such as pneumonia and influenza, chronic
obstructive lung infections such as tuberculosis
o Gastrointestinal tract infections such as diarrhea (caused by multiple
organisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa etc), ulcers, cancers
o (Note: Stress/tension may also cause diarrhea)
o Contagious diseases: Ebola, sexually transmitted infectious such as HIV/AIDS,
others (Not necessarily through sex)
o Skin infections:- either through polluted air or through contact with infected
object.
o Cardiovascular diseases:- may results from infections such as that of group of
Streptococci sp. e.g Viridians streptococci-bacterial endocarditis in which the
Streptococci
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 Infection process
 The process of infection can be represented as a chain Sources:
 Breaking a link in the chain at any point will control • Blood and other body fluids-e.g.
saliva
the risk of infection • Human and animal waste
product- feces, urine, vomit
• Respiratory discharges e.g.
cough, sneezes
• Skin-direct contact etc.
Transmission:
• From the source to the host
• Routes: Mouth, skin, RT, etc..
Host;
• People (employees and the
public)
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 Exposure to infectious organisms

 Direct physical contact with human/animal and their products/fluids

 Contact with waste
 Carry out activities that involve cutting or piercing of skin
 Coming into contact with contaminated sharp objects
 Activities that have direct contact with soil, water (in form of spray),
hay….

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 Transmission of biological hazards
 Workers in various occupations may be exposed to biological
hazards, for example:
 animal handlers
 agricultural workers

 medical workers

 child care workers

 laundry workers

 laboratory workers

 waste water and sewage workers

 any job where you come in contact with people

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 Main infectious diseases at work

Hepatitis
 This is a viral liver disease with three main forms, A, B and C.
 It is easily contracted from close contact with infected individuals or ingesting
contaminated food or feces and/or body fluids
 Those at risk include;
 healthcare workers, sewage workers, police and emergency services, morticians

and embalmers and others who come into contact with bodily fluids.
 Precaution/control
o Immunization; avoid intimate contact with infected person; avoid tattooing and
body piercing; follow standard precautions; do not recap needles; dispose of
sharps in sharps disposal container

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 TUBERCULOSIS
 Caused by the bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis
 Found in droplet nuclei released when sneezing and coughing
 The illness can be transmitted by inhaling the saliva or sputum of
an infected person or animal.
 Symptoms: weight loss, low grade afternoon fever, persistent
cough and sometimes, blood-streaked expectoration or
hemoptysis
 Groups at risk are:-
 health care staff, workers in old peoples’ homes,

 works in drug rehabilitation centers

 and farm and veterinary workers.

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 Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by a spore-forming bacterium
called Bacillus anthracis.

 It is generally acquired following contact with anthrax-infected animals or

anthrax-contaminated animal products.

 Anthrax has received heightened attention because of its use as a

biological warfare agent.

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 Cont…

 Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: 

 Cutaneous (skin)
 Inhalation
 Gastrointestinal
(Bacillus anthracis spores can live in soil for many years.)
Symptoms of anthrax
 Vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but symptoms usually occur within
7 days.

 Untreated anthrax results in death in most cases

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 Avian Influenza H5N1

 Avian influenza (or bird flu) is a

poultry disease caused by viruses that
normally infect birds.

 This disease is caused by a number of

type A influenza viruses.

 Domestic poultry may be infected

with one of two types of avian
influenza viruses

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 H5N1 cont…

Scientists are concerned about the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus for
three reasons:
It threatens domestic poultry, especially chickens, throughout the
world.
It has passed from poultry to humans and caused serious illness and
death.
It may change into a form that is highly infectious in humans and
spreads easily from person to person.
Note: The virus is believed to enter humans through the mouth,
nose,
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 TETANUS

 A neurological disorder characterized

by increased muscle tone and spasms,
that is caused by tetanospasmin, a
protein toxin from Clostridium tetani.

 It arises from the contamination of

wounds with Clostridium spores.

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 TETANUS……..

 Clinical Manifestations
 Increased tone in the masseter muscle

(lockjaw)
 Sustained contraction of the facial
muscles (risus sardonicus) and back
muscles (opisthotonus)

 Prevention
 Active immunization with tetanus toxoid

 Careful wound management

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 Allergens
 Allergens are substances that activate the immune system.

 Some allergens act directly as antigens i.e they are recognized as foreign
by the immune system and stimulate the production of specific
antibodies.

 Other allegens act indirectly by binding to other materials and change

their structure or chemistry so they become antigenic and cause an
immune response eg formaldehyde which is widely used in plastics,
wood products, insulation, fabrics and glue.
NB; (Formaldehyde is a powerful sensitizer)
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 Other WPD
 Dermatitis
 An inflammation of the skin causing itching,
pain, redness, swelling and small blisters.

NOTE:
 The outer layer of skin acts a barrier
against toxic substances.
 If these substances remove fats and oils
from this layer, the substances penetrate
deeper and combines with natural proteins to produce an allergic
reaction.

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  Asthma

 Defined as a respiratory disease caused by narrowing of the air passages.

Symptoms: difficulty in breathing, tightness of chest, nasal irritation, coughing and

wheezing.

Occupational asthma is defined as:

"a disease characterized by variable airflow limitation and/or airway hyper-responsiveness
due to causes and conditions attributable to a particular occupational environment

For example, in Bakeries and cake-shops, automobile industry and hairdressers, wood dust
activities

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 Hierarchy of Controls based on OH

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 Control of Biohazards
1. Engineering Controls
 ventilation
 general; e.g., negative pressure of a dirty room to ensure contaminated air does
not escape
 local exhaust; e.g., bio-safety hoods
 self-sheathing needles/needleless systems
 automatic flush toilets, automatic taps and towel dispensers

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 Controls..
2. Administrative Controls
 Procedures
 frequent hand washing
 no eating/drinking in work area

 washing/decontaminating surfaces; e.g., in veterinary hospital

(ensure surfaces should be nonporous and easy to clean; e.g., stainless steel).
 wet mopping rather than dry sweeping

 Medical monitoring
 Vaccinations
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 Controls…
3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
 Use PPE that is appropriate for the hazards.
 Ensure PPE fits properly.
 Make sure the different pieces of equipment
do not interfere with each other and they all
remain effective.
 Check before using PPE to make sure it is in good
working condition.
 Clean your PPE regularly
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 PPEs……….

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 Standard Precautions to Reduce
Infections or Illness
 Assume body fluids are infectious.
 Cover cuts.
 Wear gloves.
 Wash hands frequently.
 Clean surfaces with a bleach solution.
 Report injuries to your supervisor.

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 Prevention and treatment
 Education to workers, management, unions and medical professionals is the key to
the prevention of OD.

 This will enable them to identify the risk factors and put in place preventive
measures like masks or exposure limits, etc.

 Reducing exposure to the causative agent

 Removal from exposure

 Medical intervention/ treatment

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 Sterilization
 Sterilization is the process using ultra heat or high pressure to eliminate bacteria, or
using biocide to eliminate microorganisms, including spores in bacteria.
 A complete sterilization process should include disinfecting the contaminated premises
and thorough cleaning of any residual toxic substances, to ensure that employees would
not be harmed through exposure in the risk area.
 Effective sterilization depends on the strain and amount of microorganisms, the level of
organic material present, the properties of the organisms to be eliminated, and the
duration, temperature and concentration of the sterilizing agent.
 Sterilization must be carried out by following strictly safety guidelines and taking
personal protection to safeguard the health and safety of employees.

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 Summary of Selected Infectious Diseases and Occupations
Agent / Disease Occupation

Colds, influenza, scarlet fever, May be contracted anywhere

diphtheria, smallpox

Tuberculosis Silica workers, people exposed to

heat and organic dusts, and medical
personnel

Anthrax Animal handlers and handlers of

carcasses, skins, hides, or hair of
infected animals, including wool
carpet processors and handlers.

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 Selected Infectious Diseases and Occupations

Agent / Disease Occupation

Tetanus Farmers (spores in soil) or

anyone in contact with manure.
Fungus Farmers, outdoor workers,
animal handlers

Hookworm Miners, agricultural laborers,

planters of; sugar, tobacco, tea,
rice and cotton, and
-brick and tunnel workers.

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 CONCLUSION

 Biological hazards MAY

 kill OR
 cause discomfort
 affect the health and performance of employees.
 We have to be vigilant in PREVENTING and CONTROLLING
biological hazards to make the work environment a safer and
healthier place.

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