Frequently Asked Questions

Question:

What strategies are recommended for managing allergies to laboratory animals?

Answer:

Animal care personnel, researchers, and technicians who work with laboratory animals are often at risk of developing allergies. Considered a common and significant occupational disease, laboratory animal allergy (LAA) has been observed to affect as many as one-third of personnel exposed to animals and may lead to serious health consequences if not managed appropriately.

Carolyn Reeb-Whitaker, Senior Research Assistant with The Jackson Laboratory Allergy Research Group, and Fuzz Harrison, Industrial Hygienist at the Laboratory, recently published an overview of LAA that includes recommended strategies and methods to help manage the problem. (Reeb-Whitaker and Harrison, 1999).

Simply put, an allergy can be described as an abnormal sensitivity to a substance (an allergen) that is normally tolerated by exposed individuals and generally considered harmless. Allergic reactions may include contact urticaria (skin redness or itchiness, welts, hives), allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis (sneezing, itchiness, nasal drainage, nasal congestion), asthma, and the spectrum of anaphylactic reactions.

Allergenic proteins found in common laboratory animals such as mice are present in urine, hair, dander, saliva, and serum. Urine is the most significant source of allergen in the mouse.

Humans are exposed to animal allergens primarily through the air (inhalation) and skin contact. A less common yet significant route of exposure is animal bites (saliva), which can elicit anaphylaxis in hypersensitive individuals. Multiple factors influence the risk of developing LAA including individual genetic susceptibility, and the intensity, duration, and frequency of exposure.

Medical evaluation of employees prior to contact with laboratory animals as well as ongoing medical surveillance, is recommended. Timely screening can identify individuals at higher risk of developing LAA and allow the employer to educate individuals about the risks of LAA and develop a control strategy prior to onset of allergic symptoms. Ongoing medical surveillance is crucial in order to identify individuals who have become allergic, to provide appropriate medical support, and to monitor status. An effective medical surveillance program, coupled with environmental monitoring, is fundamental for characterizing and quantifying the scope (and cost) of the problem.

Employee education and training is an important factor for reducing the risk of allergy development. Once an allergic individual becomes symptomatic, controlling exposure may not be adequate or feasible to manage symptoms. Although only about 10% of allergic individuals develop asthma, people with severe allergic symptoms ultimately may have to be reassigned to new positions which eliminate exposure to animals.

Reducing exposure to animal allergens has proven to reduce symptoms and to decrease the incidence of LAA. The following recommendations include strategies and methods that should be considered for managing LAA and for weighing costs and feasibility against the negative health, morale, and financial impact of LAA.

Personal Protective Equipment and Personal Hygiene
  • Change of clothes prior to entering the animal room and the use of laboratory coats, scrubs, hair bonnets, shoe covers, and gloves.
  • Use of respiratory protection as necessary and appropriate examples include the half-face disposable mask (dust/mist), half-face or full-face mask with HEPA filter, and the air helmet or air hat (powered air-purifying respirator, or PAPR).
  • Shower facilities for workers to use after removing protective equip ment and prior to leaving work.
  • Handwashing after handling any animals and prior to leaving animal room.
Engineering Controls
  • Validation of room ventilation performance for effectiveness in removing airborne contaminants.
  • Use of local exhaust ventilation for cage changing and mouse handling (fume hood, laminar flow cabinet, etc.).
  • Installation of air locks or suitable barriers to separate facility zones (i.e., animal facility, laboratory research, and administrative).
  • Effective humidity control in the animal room.
  • Use of ventilated caging systems to reduce ambient allergen levels.
Administrative Controls and Work Practices
  • Establishment of animal room density limits based on ventilation capacity.
  • Use of filter cage tops for conventional, non-ventilated cages.
  • Implementation of wet cleaning methods (floors, walls, fixtures, equipment, and animal racks) and vacuuming.
  • Reduction of dry-broom sweeping. Minimization of animal transport.
  • Use of covered carriers containing fresh bedding when transporting animals.
  • Alternative bedding (low dust, non-contact, etc.).
  • Implementation of a comprehensive employee education and training program for LAA.
Reference

Authors in bold indicate Jackson Laboratory scientists

  • Reeb-Whitaker CK, Harrison DJF. 1999. Practical management strategies for laboratory animal allergy. Lab Animal 28:25-30.

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