(aeruginosa, stutzeri, fluorescens, putida)

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Characteristics
Morphology Motile gram-negative aerobic bacteria, plump-shaped rods, with polar flagella, non-spore forming and can produce pigments.
Disease

Pneumonia, bacteremia, wound infections, urinary tract infections, swimmer's ear, eye infections related to use of contact lenses.
Zoonosis

None reported.
Health Hazards
Host Range Humans, animals (wild, domestic, livestock), and plants (flora and fungi).
Modes of Transmission
Direct contact by inhalation of aerosols and wounds, aspiration of contaminated water (tap or distilled). Indirectly by contact of mucous membranes with discharges from infected conjunctivae or infected respiratory secretions.
Signs and Symptoms 

Conjunctivitis, Upper Respiratory Infections, Pneumonia, Urinary Tract Infections, Wound Infection.
Infectious Dose Unknown for humans. Studies with larvae models have found the infectious dose for the insects to be high.
Incubation Period  Varies according to infection, eye infection can appear 24 – 72 hours after infection.
Medical Precautions/Treatment
Prophylaxis
Antibiotic Prophylaxis.
Vaccines
None available.
Treatment Aggressive antibiotic therapy for severe infections; Local application of antibiotic ointment or drops for skin or eye infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is intrinsically resistant to many common antibiotics.
Surveillance
Monitor for symptoms. Diagnosis can be confirmed by microbial culture and PCR.
MSU Requirements
Report any exposures.
Laboratory Hazards
Laboratory Acquired Infections (LAIs)
None have been reported. However, this is an opportunistic pathogen and there is the possibility of severe to fatal infection in the immunocompromised.
 Sources
Clinical Specimen: Respiratory secretions, wound exudates, blood, urine. Environmental Reservoir: Water, infected solutions (IV, disinfectants, soap). Cultures, frozen stocks, other samples described in IBC protocol.
Supplemental References
BMBL
 https://www.cdc.gov/labs/bmbl/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/labs/BMBL.html
NIH Guidelines
https://osp.od.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/NIH_Guidelines.pdf
CDC
 https://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/pseudomonas.html
Canada PSDS
 http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/lab-bio/res/psds-ftss/index-eng.php
Risk Group & Containment Requirements
Risk Group 2

Agents that are associated with human disease which is rarely serious and for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are often available.
BSL2
For all procedures involving suspected or known infectious specimen or cultures.
ABSL2
For all procedures utilizing infected animals infected.
Spill Procedures
Small
Notify others working in the lab. Remove PPE and don new PPE. Cover area of the spill with absorbent material and add fresh 1:10 bleach:water. Allow 20 munutes (or as directed) of contact time. After 20 minutes, cleanup and dispose of materials.
Large
  • Immediately notify all personnel in the lab and clear all personnel from the area. Remove any contaminated PPE/clothing and leave the lab. 
  • Secure the area by locking doors, posting signage and guarding the area to keep people out of the space. 
For assistance, contact MSU's Biosafety Officer (406-994-6733) or Safety and Risk Management (406-994-2711).
Exposure Procedures
Mucous membrane
Flush eyes, mouth, or nose for 5 minutes at eyewash station.
Other Exposures
Wash area with soap and water for 5 minutes.
Reporting
Immediately report incident to supervisor, complete a First Report of Injury form, and submit to Safety and Risk Management.
Medical Follow-up
During business hours: Bridger Occupational Health 3406 Laramie Drive. Weekdays 8am -6pm.  Weekends 9am-5pm
After business hours: Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Emergency Room 915 Highland Blvd Bozeman, MT
Viability
Disinfection
Susceptible to 1:10 bleach:water, 70 % ethanol and 2 % gluteraldehyde, 2 % formaldehyde. Alcohol contained disinfectants recommended for resistant strains.
Inactivation
moist heat (15 minutes at 121oC) and dry heat (1 hour at 160-170oC).
Survival Outside Host
Unknown.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Minimum PPE Requirements
Lab coat, disposable gloves, safety glasses, closed toed shoes, long pants
Additional Precautions
 Additioanl PPE may be required depending on lab specific SOPs and IBC Protocol.