SARS-Coronaviruses and Highly Pathogenic Influenza Viruses

Safety and Occupational Health for Laboratory Workers

On September 30, 2004, more than 75 people gathered at Wadsworth Center's David Axelrod Institute in Albany, New York, to discuss and further develop the Wadsworth Center Occupational Health protocol to monitor the health of laboratory staff who work with SARS-coronavirus or highly pathogenic influenza.

The meeting featured speakers who have worked with the pathogens or in containing recent outbreaks of infection with the viruses. Chief among them were: Dr. Malik Peiris, University of Hong Kong; Dr. Susan Poutanen, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto; Dr. May Chu, World Health Organization, Geneva; Dr. Tom Ksiazek, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Umesh Parashar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Paul Masters, Wadsworth Center; and Dr. David Wentworth, Wadsworth Center. In addition, panel discussions focused on current biosafety practices, criteria used to perform risk assessment, and the balance between institutional needs versus employee needs.

The final protocol is made available here to the virology community worldwide.

• SARS - Coronaviruses and Highly Pathogenic Influenza Viruses
  Laboratory Occupational Health Protocol
• SARS - Coronaviruses and Highly Pathogenic Influenza Viruses
  Laboratory Occupational Health Protocol -- (PDF 65k}
• Monitoring of SARS-CoV/Avian Influenza Laboratory Personnel After an Exposure Event or Development of Symptoms -- (PDF 24k)
• CDC Algorithm for Management of Fever or Respiratory Symptoms When SARS-CoV Transmission is Occurring in the World -- (PDF 287k)

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