1988 Agent Summary Statement for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Report on Laboratory-Acquired Infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus [MMWR, Vol 37 No.S-4]

Vol. 37 / No. S-4

MMWR

19

Occupationally Acquired Human
Immunodeficiency Virus Infections in
Laboratories Producing Virus Concentrates in
Large Quantities:
Conclusions and Recommendations of an Expert Team
Convened by the Director of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Reported by Division of Safety, National Institutes of Health*
INTRODUCTION
The recommendations of the expert team are directed to industrial-scale facilities
for the production of large quantities of highly concentrated HIV. Their recommendations are similar to and complement those in the preceding "1988 Agent Summary
Statement for Human Immunodeficiency Virus," which updates the one published in
1986 (1). Laboratory directors and others responsible for the health and safety of
laboratory employees working with HIV and HIV-containing material should carefully
consider these relevant recommendations and guidelines in developing an appropriate safety program.
COMMITTEE REPORT
Two workers in different laboratories producing large quantities of highly concentrated HIV have been reported to have laboratory-acquired HIV infections (1). One
worker's infection was presumed to be caused by "undetected skin contact with virus
culture supernatant" (2). The other worker's infection followed "an injury with a
potentially contaminated needle" (2). After the first case was identified, the Director
of NIH convened a team of experts to investigate the incidents and to visit seven
different laboratories that produced large volumes of HIV. After facilities inspections
and separate, confidential interviews with the workers, the team prepared a report of
their findings. The conclusions and recommendations from that report follow.
*Expert Team: W. Emmett Barkley, PhD, Director, Division of Engineering Services, National
Institutes of Health; Robert McKinney, PhD, Director, Division of Safety, National Institutes of
Health; John Richardson, DVM, MPH, Biosafety Officer, Emory University; Gerald Schochetman,
PhD, Chief, Laboratory Investigations Branch, AIDS Program, Center for Infectious Diseases,
Centers for Disease Control; David Henderson, MD, Hospital Epidemiologist, Warren Grant
Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health.