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Anthrax |
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(SEE ALSO HEALTH
CARE INDUSTRY AND INDOOR
AIR QUALITY LINKS) |
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Some workers are at risk of contracting diseases, such as HIV,
hepatitis, tuberculosis and lyme disease. Other workers might
be targeted with anthrax or smallpox. In the U.S., most workers
who are at risk of infection are covered by regulations that
require their employer to provide every possible protection.
Those regulations are frequently not followed, particularly
in small businesses. Workers who are exposed to possible infection
should take steps to determine whether their employer is complying
with the applicable regulations and, if necessary, take appropriate
action.
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Anthrax links |
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The
links below are connected to reference materials, such as factsheets
and journal articles. For recent news stories about anthrax
and other occupational biohazards, click
here.
 Anthrax
(New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)
Anthrax
(U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Anthrax
(University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research
and Policy)
Anthrax
(U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense,
1997)
Anthrax
Advice Detailed and expert guidance for anyone who handles
or receives mail and for the unions that represent them (Newspaper
Guild, 2001)
Anthrax
as a Biological Weapon: Medical and Public Health Management
(Journal of the American Medical Association, 1999)
Anthrax
in the Workplace: Risk Reduction Matrix (Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, November 16, 2001)
Anthrax
Links (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Bioterrorism-Related
Inhalational Anthrax: The First 10 Cases Reported in the United
States (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
November 15, 2001)
Clinical
and Epidemiologic Principles of Anthrax (U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999)
Clinical
Treatment Guidelines for Weapons of Mass Destruction Includes fact sheets on anthrax (Maryland
Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, 2000)
Considerations
for Distinguishing Influenza-Like Illness from Inhalational
Anthrax (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
November 9, 2001)
Guidelines
for the Surveillance and Control of Anthrax in Humans and Animals
This is a very large file, with many photos, making
for a slow download, even with a fast internet connection. (World
Health Organization)
How
Can You Prevent/Control Anthrax Exposure and Infection?
(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
How
to Handle Anthrax and Other Biological Agent Threats (U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001)
Interim Guidelines for Investigation of and Response
to Bacillus anthracis Exposures (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
November 9, 2001)
Interim
Recommendations for the Selection and Use of Protective Clothing
and Respirators Against Biological Agents (U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001)
Occupational
Health Guidelines for Anthrax Remediation Workers
— Despite the apparently low disease rate from exposure,
protection for remediation workers at B. anthracis-contaminated
sites is warranted because inhalational anthrax is rapidly progressive
and highly fatal, PPE does not guarantee 100% protection, and
the risk for developing disease cannot be characterized adequately.
The guidelines described here go beyond HAZWOPER requirements
and include recommendations for treating inhalation exposure
to B. anthracis spores as a medical emergency, medical follow-up
as long as the risk for anthrax persists or a worker is receiving
antibiotic prophylaxis, accommodation of a mobile workforce,
and assurance that workers understand the need for immediate
medical attention should symptoms of anthrax occur. (Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report, September 6, 2002)
Recognition
and Management of Anthrax — An Update (New England
Journal of Medicine, November 2001)
Recommendations
for Protecting Mail Handlers from Cutaneous and Inhalational
Anthrax Associated with Intentional Distribution of Bacillus
anthracis Through the Mail (U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, October 31, 2001)
Update:
Investigation of Bioterrorism-Related Anthrax and Interim Guidelines
for Exposure Management and Antimicrobial Therapy (U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 26, 2001)
Workplace
Response to Anthrax Threat: OSHA Recommendations for Handling
Mail (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Anthrax news |
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Occupational Health Guidelines
for Anthrax Remediation Workers — Despite the apparently
low disease rate from exposure, protection for remediation workers
at B. anthracis-contaminated sites is warranted because inhalational
anthrax is rapidly progressive and highly fatal, PPE does not
guarantee 100% protection, and the risk for developing disease
cannot be characterized adequately. The guidelines described
here go beyond HAZWOPER requirements and include recommendations
for treating inhalation exposure to B. anthracis spores as a
medical emergency, medical follow-up as long as the risk for
anthrax persists or a worker is receiving antibiotic prophylaxis,
accommodation of a mobile workforce, and assurance that workers
understand the need for immediate medical attention should symptoms
of anthrax occur.  (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
September 6, 2002)
Union Head Objects to Anthrax Vaccine Program —
The president of the New York region's postal workers union
said he objected to the anthrax vaccinations that the federal
government would be offering to post office employees in a few
days. "They want to experiment on our people," said
William M. Smith, president of the New York Metro Area Postal
Workers Union, which represents 10,000 New York employees, including
the 5,500 who work at Morgan Station, the main branch. "Those
vaccinations can cause all kind of harm. Until I see the Supreme
Court and the Congress taking those vaccinations, I don't want
to them to be giving it to us." (New York Times, December 25, 2001)
As
U.S. Offers Anthrax Shots, Safety Debate Begins Again
— As dozens of Congressional staff members prepared to
be vaccinated against anthrax, critics questioned the safety
of the vaccine today and complained about the failure of federal
health officials to take a stand on whether postal workers who
may have been exposed should get the shots. Representative Christopher
Shays, a Connecticut Republican who held hearings last year
on the anthrax vaccine, said it was potentially dangerous for
people "to take a vaccine that hasn't been approved by
the F.D.A. and that was made in a plant that hasn't been approved
either." While the vaccine has been approved by the Food
and Drug Administration to prevent infection with anthrax, it
is not approved for treatment after exposure. The plant in Lansing,
Mich., owned by BioPort, had been shut down for safety violations.
At the United States Postal Service, officials said that without
guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
and other federal health agencies, they were unable to advise
the thousands of postal workers who may have been exposed to
anthrax here and in New York and New Jersey whether they should
be vaccinated. (New York Times, December 20, 2001)
Update:
Investigation of Bioterrorism-Related Anthrax —
This report updates the investigation of bioterrorism-related
anthrax and the provision of antimicrobial prophylaxis to exposed
persons and highlights CDC assistance to other countries investigating
cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax. (Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report, November 16, 2001)
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