Vaccinia Virus—Laboratory Tool with a Risk of Laboratory-acquired Infection

摘要

The vaccinia virus vaccine was effectively used during the 19th and 20th centuries to eradicate smallpox. Over the last decade, vaccinia virus and derived recombinant vectors have been increasingly used in biomedical research, in preclinical animal studies, as well as in clinical trials. While laboratories engineer and test orthopoxvirus vaccine vectors against infectious diseases and tumors, or develop countermeasures against inadvertent or bioterrorist-intended release of poxviruses, laboratory workers handling non-highly attenuated viruses are at risk of potential occupational exposure. This article describes an employee's percutaneous exposure to a recombinant non-highly attenuated vaccinia virus with subsequent infection. Lessons learned from the incident investigation set the basis for improved work practices, refinements in the medical surveillance plan, and proactive measures to preclude recurrence.