Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HETA 82-134-1197, African Swine Fever Laboratory, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

摘要

On February 11, 1982, NIOSH received a request to investigate the cause of a series of acute illnesses that had affected 13 of the 22 employees. During the week of March 22, 1982, interviews were conducted with all 17 available employees. A walk-through inspection was conducted and a chemical inventory was prepared. Laboratory procedures and practices were observed. Environmental sampling was conducted to measure exposure to solvents, metals, and airborne particulate contaminants. Neither environmental sampling results for solvents, metals, and airborne particulate contaminates, nor inspection of the laboratory revealed any chemical or biological agent present in the environment that would be responsible for the illnesses of the lab personnel. The circumstances of the episodes that occurred on July 14 and November 23 suggest that some contaminant of the coffee may have caused the illnesses of these employees. The illnesses experienced by the four employees whose symptoms were not associated with coffee ingestion conceivably could have been induced by an interaction between laboratory environmental factors, such as elevated temperature and insufficient ventilation, and employee apprehension.