Photo by William Weinert
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have issued an interim guidance for protecting workers from occupational exposure to the Zika virus.
The guidance is for healthcare and laboratory workers, outdoor workers, mosquito control workers, and business travelers.
It includes recommendations to help protect these workers from mosquito bites and exposure to an infected person’s blood or other body fluids.
The CDC noted that, although Zika virus is primarily spread by infected mosquitoes, exposure to an infected person’s blood or other body fluids may also result in transmission.
So healthcare workers who may be exposed to contaminated blood or other potentially infectious materials from people infected with Zika virus may require additional protection.
Recommendations for healthcare and laboratory workers
Employers and workers in healthcare settings and laboratories should follow standard infection control and biosafety practices (including universal precautions) as appropriate to prevent or minimize the risk of Zika virus transmission.
Standard precautions include, but are not limited to, hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to avoid direct contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials, including laboratory specimens/samples. PPE may include gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection.
Hand hygiene consists of washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60% alcohol. Soap and water are best for hands that are visibly soiled. Perform hand hygiene before and after any contact with a patient, after any contact with potentially infectious material, and before putting on and upon removing PPE, including gloves.
Laboratories should ensure that their facilities and practices meet the appropriate Biosafety Level for the type of work being conducted (including the specific biologic agents—in this case, Zika virus) in the laboratory.
Employers should ensure that workers follow workplace standard operating procedures (eg, workplace exposure control plans) and use the engineering controls and work practices available in the workplace to prevent exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials.
Employers should ensure workers do not bend, recap, or remove contaminated needles or other contaminated sharps. Properly dispose of these items in closable, puncture-resistant, leak-proof, and labeled or color-coded containers. Workers should use sharps with engineered sharps injury protection to avoid sharps-related injuries.
Additional details and recommendations for business travelers, outdoor workers, and mosquito control workers are available in the full guidance document.
The CDC said it will continue to update this guidance based on accumulating evidence. For updates, visit www.cdc.gov/zika.
