(Reuters) - The spread of a deadly bacteria from a secure laboratory to a colony of monkeys at a Louisiana primate research facility may have been caused by lapses in the use of protective clothing by those in the lab, federal investigators said on Friday.
The Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria was discovered late last year after two monkeys treated at the breeding colony's veterinary clinic became ill. It has led to three monkeys being euthanized.
A worker at the clinic and five other monkeys have tested positive for possible exposure to the bacteria but have not grown sick.
Investigators probing the cause of the outbreak at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, outside of New Orleans, did not identify a specific event that triggered it, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.
But the improper use of protective outer clothing by those in the lab could have allowed the bacteria to cling to inner garments and escape the lab that way, the CDC said.
Investigators also found that center staff often entered the lab without wearing the protective clothing at all, which also could have led to the bacteria's spread.
Research on the bacteria at the facility, being conducted to find a vaccine, has been halted, and will remain so until Tulane officials can show that staff has been properly trained and a plan is in place in the event of a future outbreak, the CDC said.
There is no indication that the bacteria, which is not native to North America and is usually contracted by exposure of an open wound to contaminated soil or water, has made it into the surrounding environment, and the risk to the general population is low, the CDC has said.
The clinic, which has been decontaminated, is believed to be where the monkeys came into contact with the bacteria while being treated for routine illnesses and injuries, the CDC said.
The bacterium can cause a disease called melioidosis in both humans and animals. It has a wide range of symptoms that can be confused with other diseases like tuberculosis or pneumonia, according to the CDC.
(Reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky)
The Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria was discovered late last year after two monkeys treated at the breeding colony's veterinary clinic became ill. It has led to three monkeys being euthanized.
A worker at the clinic and five other monkeys have tested positive for possible exposure to the bacteria but have not grown sick.
Investigators probing the cause of the outbreak at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, outside of New Orleans, did not identify a specific event that triggered it, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.
But the improper use of protective outer clothing by those in the lab could have allowed the bacteria to cling to inner garments and escape the lab that way, the CDC said.
Investigators also found that center staff often entered the lab without wearing the protective clothing at all, which also could have led to the bacteria's spread.
Research on the bacteria at the facility, being conducted to find a vaccine, has been halted, and will remain so until Tulane officials can show that staff has been properly trained and a plan is in place in the event of a future outbreak, the CDC said.
There is no indication that the bacteria, which is not native to North America and is usually contracted by exposure of an open wound to contaminated soil or water, has made it into the surrounding environment, and the risk to the general population is low, the CDC has said.
The clinic, which has been decontaminated, is believed to be where the monkeys came into contact with the bacteria while being treated for routine illnesses and injuries, the CDC said.
The bacterium can cause a disease called melioidosis in both humans and animals. It has a wide range of symptoms that can be confused with other diseases like tuberculosis or pneumonia, according to the CDC.
(Reporting by Jonathan Kaminsky)
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