NEWS & EVENTS

NEWS ARCHIVE | EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

EXPOSURE TO BACTERIAL CRITICAL BIOLOGICAL AGENTS

INHALATION ANTHRAX, PNEUMONIC PLAGUE, TULAREMIA, BRUCELLOSIS

A number of questions from our clients prompt this brief summary. Please feel free to call or email PRL with further questions.

Follow the steps outlined below if patients present in the Emergency Department of Community Hospitals, and/or physician offices with symptoms of acute respiratory distress and fever AND the attending physician believes there is a strong likelihood of patient exposure to a critical biological agent:

• It is critical that ALL clinical information be included with the submission of the specimen to the laboratory.
• The specimen submitted for testing is based on the patient's clinical symptoms. Sputum, respiratory specimens (bronchial washings), CSF, and blood are appropriate specimens to be submitted to the Microbiology Laboratory for presumptive testing.
• PRL Microbiology Department will follow appropriate and recommended protocols for specimen culture. We will contact the Missouri Department of Health with any questions. All suspected cultures will be plated to agar and tested in the Biological Safety Cabinet in the AFB (Biosafety Level 3) Room. These specimen plates shall be shrink sealed at the time of culture set-up.
• Presumptive testing will follow guidelines deemed appropriate by the Missouri Department of Health.

Steps listed below will be followed if there is a presumptive positive result:

• Notification of the Pathologist or designee (on-call)
• The pathologist or designee will initiate the notification of:

1. Referring or attending clinician

2. KCMO Public Health Department at 816-717-6721 (if applicable)

3. State Department of Health (Kansas and/or Missouri)*

4. CDC Bioterrorism Emergency office at 770-488-7100

5. FBI - KCMO at 816-221-6100

• PRL Microbiology Department will submit a Nutrient Agar Slant to the State Department of Health for definitive identification

* Missouri Dept. of Health Emergency (24/7) phone: 1-800-392-0272
Kansas Dept. of Health 1-785-296-1343

Physicians Reference Laboratory, LLC
November, 2001