Occupational Health of Animal Workers

Mobo, Ben Hur; Rabinowitz, Peter; Conti, Lisa; Taiwo, Oyebode A.

doi:10.1016/b978-1-4160-6837-2.00012-9

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Infected animals directly transmit the disease to humans, or humans contract it by consuming their products, particularly unpasteurized milk and dairy products like cheese made from sheep and goat milk (Abdali et al 2020). Specific occupational groups, such as veterinarians, agricultural laborers, meat-packing workers and ranchers are more vulnerable (Mobo et al 2010). While B. suis and B. abortus infections mostly afflict workers, B. melitensis infections are more common in the general population (Alton and Forsyth 1996).…”

Section: Zoonosismentioning

confidence: 99%

Brucella Zoonosis: Treatment and Prevention Guide

2023

IJAB

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David Bruce, identified Brucella melitensis in 1886, initially known as Malta Fever. Themistocles Zammit later revealed its zoonotic origin in goats. Brucella is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans. Brucella is a non-spore-forming gram-negative coccobacilli, lack capsules and virulence genes. Despite being non-motile, they possess genes for flagellum construction. The Brucella genus comprised of nine species shows host-specific genomic similarities, challenging understanding of survival mechanisms and intracellular growth. In animals, Brucella enters via mucous membranes or skin, bypassing immune defenses in organs, causing persistent infections, especially in the reproductive tract, leading to abortion. Infected animals shed the bacteria in fluids. In humans, Brucellosis enters through contaminated products or direct contact with animals, inducing systemic symptoms. Chronic cases may result in skeletal issues or rare neurological complications. Brucellosis, a geographically dynamic disease, in which cases are prevalent in Central Asia and escalating across the Middle East. Despite successful eradication in certain regions, brucellosis persists globally, impacting animal production and public health. Brucella strains exhibit zoonotic potential, with B. melitensis posing the highest risk. Effective eradication efforts have reduced human cases in certain countries. Human brucellosis presents diagnostic challenges, relying on laboratory tests due to varied clinical manifestations. Culture isolation remains the gold standard, while serological tests like the Brucella agglutination test and PCR-based methods are essential. In cattle, the Brucella ring test and blood tests are key for monitoring and eradication efforts. Swine brucellosis lacks a reliable serological test, but buffered plate Brucella antigen tests are practical. Ovine and caprine brucellosis screening relies on tests like the Rose Bengal plate agglutination, complement fixation, and indirect ELISA tests. Brucellosis treatment challenges arise from intracellular adaptation of the bacteria. Combining doxycycline and streptomycin (DS) is the most effective, although parenteral administration poses challenges. The rifampicin-doxycycline (DR) oral regimen is an alternative, but less potent, requiring individualized consideration, monitoring, and follow-up for optimal outcomes. In highprevalence areas, controlling and eradicating brucellosis involves vaccination and the removal of infected animals. Key vaccines include B. abortus strains 19 and RB51 for cattle and B. melitensis strain Rev1 for goats and sheep. Despite vaccination, total Brucella eradication requires additional measures and sound husbandry practices due to vaccines providing partial protection, especially in regions with elevated infection rates.

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Section: Zoonosismentioning

confidence: 99%

Brucella Zoonosis: Treatment and Prevention Guide

2023

IJAB

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“…While the focus of CF research has begun to extend to animal-professions, to our knowledge no study has both studied and systematically compared CF across the sanctuary and zoo caregiving communities, despite the presence of work-related stressors associated with CF in the broader field of animal-care [36]. We view these as important institutions to study as the regular human-animal interactions required for routine husbandry procedures (e.g., positive reinforcement training), alongside the strong, long-term bonds caregivers form with the animals in their care [37], may put sanctuary and zoo caregivers at risk of developing CF [3,26,35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compassion Fatigue in Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Caregivers: Prevalence, Contributing Factors, and Coping Mechanisms

Leinwand,

Vale

2023

JZBG

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Compassion fatigue (CF) refers to the exhaustion and distress caused by the demands of caring for others. CF occurs in a variety of helping professions, including physicians, nurses, educators, social workers and animal caregivers, and is known to adversely impact both caregivers’ quality of life and the care they provide. This study assessed the prevalence, risk and protective factors, coping strategies and support programs for CF in chimpanzee caregivers (N = 123) at accredited sanctuaries and zoos in the United States. Online survey results revealed that 91.06% of chimpanzee caregivers experienced CF at some point in their careers. Common CF symptoms were exhaustion, frustration, anxiety, depression, and apathy. Perceived factors influencing CF included being understaffed, lacking resources and training, poor relationships with coworkers and supervisors, and financial insecurity. Commonly reported coping strategies were talking to someone, having pets, self-care, and getting away from work. 20.33% of caregivers reported having institutional support programs available to them, however they were rarely viewed as helpful and 32.52% of respondents were unsure about program availability. Overall, our findings suggest that, like other caregiving professionals, chimpanzee caregivers are susceptible to CF and may benefit from new or updated support programs that continue to build a ‘culture of care’ that meets employee, animal, and facility needs.

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“…To date, laboratory animal allergen (LAA) is still known Philippine Journal of Science 151 (2): 605-614, April 2022 ISSN 0031 -7683 Date Received: 31 Aug 2021 to be the most common workplace concern encountered by workers in this industry (Wood 2001;Jones 2015). However, in this kind of workplace, the workers can be exposed to different health and safety concerns related to physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomics (NRC 1997;Mobo et al 2010). To our knowledge, there is no published data on occupational health and safety of LAWs in the Philippines.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Survey on Health and Safety Concerns of Laboratory Animal Workers in the Philippines

Bibay¹,

Agapito²

2022

Philipp J Sci

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Occupational health and safety are important aspects of the workplace. This study was carried out to identify the common occupational health and safety concerns of laboratory animal workers (LAWs) in the Philippines. Specifically, it aims to describe the frequency of encounters with the different health and safety concerns plus the encounters based on the workers’ demographic profiles, animal contact, and the frequency of personal protective equipment (PPE) usage at work. An online survey questionnaire was developed and confidentially administered to the respondents via email through the Philippine Association for Laboratory Animal Science (PALAS). A total of 44 responses met the research inclusion criteria. The three most common health and safety concerns encountered by LAWs at work were animal-related injuries (34/44, 77.3%), sharp-related injuries (30/44, 68.2%), and allergy from animals (23/44, 52.3%). These were consistent regardless of the workers’ age, gender, job title, years of work experience with laboratory animals, animal contact, and frequency of PPE usage at work. A high rate of experiencing animal-related injuries was observed even with the frequent use of available PPE. With this, the study revealed that LAWs in the Philippines are exposed to different health and safety concerns present at work. Moreover, the study showed the need to evaluate further the current practices and ensure implementation of additional safety measures to lessen the occurrence of these concerns and protect the health and safety of the workers.

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Occupational Health of Animal Workers

Cited by 12 publications

References 49 publications

Brucella Zoonosis: Treatment and Prevention Guide

Brucella Zoonosis: Treatment and Prevention Guide

Compassion Fatigue in Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Caregivers: Prevalence, Contributing Factors, and Coping Mechanisms

Survey on Health and Safety Concerns of Laboratory Animal Workers in the Philippines

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