Laboratory-acquired infections and pathogen escapes worldwide between 2000 and 2021: a scoping review
Issued Date
2024-01-01
Resource Type
eISSN
26665247
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85182360019
Journal Title
The Lancet Microbe
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
The Lancet Microbe (2024)
Suggested Citation
Blacksell S.D., Dhawan S., Kusumoto M., Le K.K., Summermatter K., O'Keefe J., Kozlovac J.P., Almuhairi S.S., Sendow I., Scheel C.M., Ahumibe A., Masuku Z.M., Bennett A.M., Kojima K., Harper D.R., Hamilton K. Laboratory-acquired infections and pathogen escapes worldwide between 2000 and 2021: a scoping review. The Lancet Microbe (2024). doi:10.1016/S2666-5247(23)00319-1 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/95838
Title
Laboratory-acquired infections and pathogen escapes worldwide between 2000 and 2021: a scoping review
Author's Affiliation
Ministry for Primary Industries
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional
UK Health Security Agency
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chatham House
University of Bern
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USDA ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional
UK Health Security Agency
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chatham House
University of Bern
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USDA ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) and accidental pathogen escape from laboratory settings (APELS) are major concerns for the community. A risk-based approach for pathogen research management within a standard biosafety management framework is recommended but is challenging due to reasons such as inconsistency in risk tolerance and perception. Here, we performed a scoping review using publicly available, peer-reviewed journal and media reports of LAIs and instances of APELS between 2000 and 2021. We identified LAIs in 309 individuals in 94 reports for 51 pathogens. Eight fatalities (2·6% of all LAIs) were caused by infection with Neisseria meningitidis (n=3, 37·5%), Yersinia pestis (n=2, 25%), Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S Typhimurium; n=1, 12·5%), or Ebola virus (n=1, 12·5%) or were due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (n=1, 12·5%). The top five LAI pathogens were S Typhimurium (n=154, 49·8%), Salmonella enteritidis (n=21, 6·8%), vaccinia virus (n=13, 4·2%), Brucella spp (n=12, 3·9%), and Brucella melitensis (n=11, 3·6%). 16 APELS were reported, including those for Bacillus anthracis, SARS-CoV, and poliovirus (n=3 each, 18·8%); Brucella spp and foot and mouth disease virus (n=2 each, 12·5%); and variola virus, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and influenza virus H5N1 (n=1 each, 6·3%). Continual improvement in LAI and APELS management via their root cause analysis and thorough investigation of such incidents is essential to prevent future occurrences. The results are biased due to the reliance on publicly available information, which emphasises the need for formalised global LAIs and APELS reporting to better understand the frequency of and circumstances surrounding these incidents.