Bioseguridad y autocuidado: prioridad en la formación universitaria en momentos de pandemia / Biosafety and self-care: a priority in university training during pandemic times

Introducción: La bioseguridad y el autocuidado son dos prácticas importantes en el proceso de formación. Estas deben reforzarse permanentemente, ya que se relacionan de manera directa no solo con el riesgo de infecciones, sino con la calidad de la atención. Objetivo: Identificar la evidencia científica sobre los procesos de formación en bioseguridad y autocuidado en el marco de la pandemia. Métodos: Se hizo una revisión de la literatura científica publicada entre 2016 y 2020 sobre medidas de bioseguridad y autocuidado. La búsqueda se realizó en español, inglés y portugués, en la Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Pubmed, Science Direct y el motor de búsqueda de Google Académico. Se aplicó la metodología PRISMA y se evaluaron en total 25 artículos científicos. Resultados: El año 2020 tuvo mayor frecuencia. La generalidad de los estudios se realizó en el contexto universitario en programas de salud. La higiene de las manos y el uso de guantes fueron las medidas de bioseguridad más informadas; mientras que las medidas de precaución se conocen e implementan. Las publicaciones denotan moderado conocimiento en cuanto a prevención de factores de riesgos biológicos, especialmente en prácticas clínicas. Conclusiones: En los procesos de formación debe tenerse en cuenta la relevancia de reforzar las medidas de bioseguridad y autocuidado para favorecer el ejercicio profesional. Es importante diseñar y repensar estos procesos, tanto en docentes como estudiantes, a través de nuevos métodos y cambios curriculares. La salud mental puede verse afectada no solo por la situación, sino por desconocimiento, miedo a infectarse y sobrecarga laboral(AU)

Introduction: Biosafety and self-care are two important practices in the training process. These should be permanently reinforced, since they are directly related not only to the risk of infections, but also to the quality of care. Objective: To identify the scientific evidence on the biosafety and self-care training processes in the context of the pandemic. Methods: A review of the scientific literature published between 2016 and 2020 on biosafety and self-care measures was carried out. The search was performed in Spanish, English and Portuguese, in the Virtual Health Library, PubMed, Science Direct, and the Google Scholar search engine. The PRISMA methodology was applied and a total of 25 scientific articles were assessed. Results: The year 2020 had the highest frequency. Most of the studies were carried out in the university context in health programs. Hand hygiene and glove-wearing were the most reported biosafety measures, while warning measures are known and implemented. The publications are indicative of moderate knowledge regarding prevention of biological risk factors, especially in clinical practices. Conclusions: The relevance of reinforcing biosafety and self-care measures to favor professional practice should be taken into account in training processes. It is important to design and rethink these processes, both in professors and students, through new methods and curricular changes. Mental health may be affected not only by the situation, but also by ignorance, fear of infection and work overload(AU)

Strengthening Biorisk Management Capacities in Burkina Faso: Contribution of the Global Health Security Agenda.

The Global Health Security Agenda and the International Health Regulations (2005) recommend that countries strengthen the capacity of their national laboratory systems to comply with the International Health Regulations. To efficiently and effectively direct these efforts, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Directorate of Laboratories, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine, and Integrated Quality Laboratory Service-assessed Burkina Faso's national laboratory system using the World Health Organization Laboratory Assessment Tool. Based on gaps observed in biorisk management, the Biosafety and Biosecurity Laboratory Assessment Tool (BSS LAT) was developed to assess 10 public laboratories handling dangerous pathogens. This tool uses a specific scoring matrix with quantitative output. Composite assessment scores for the 9 primary modules (capacity areas) were reported, with the highest scores reported in cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, waste management (42%), and good laboratory practices (40%), and the lowest scores in biosecurity/biosafety (33%), documents/regulations (18%), emergency management (16%), and risk management (5%). To address challenges identified in the assessments, a set of activities was planned with a focus on biorisk management. Results from an evaluation conducted 1 year later, using the BSS LAT, showed an increase in the average score of all indicators from 25% to 45% and an increase in the biorisk management module score from 5% to 35%. This evaluation process was a decisive step toward strengthening the capacity of the laboratory system in Burkina Faso. Global Health Security Agenda investments and activities have made a lasting impact on improving biosafety and biosecurity in public health laboratories. To ensure sustainability, a strong laboratory quality management program based on a mentorship system is greatly needed.

Effectiveness of international virtual training on biorisk management in the context of COVID-19.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in enormous increases in laboratory activities to keep pace with diagnostic testing and research efforts. However, traditional training, technical assistance, and capacity-building approaches were disrupted by the travel and movement restrictions put in place to control the spread of the disease. To address the needs of laboratorians and managers to conduct laboratory activities safely and securely during the pandemic, a highly interactive virtual training (IVT) workshop on biorisk management during COVID-19 was conducted through active learning strategies that connected speakers with participants. The objective of the training was to increase the basic knowledge and standards of biosafety and biosecurity practices, risk assessment, and control measures with reference specifically to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and apply a rigorous evaluation methodology to assess the effectiveness of the IVT. The training covered a broad range of topics and encompassed national to international guidelines. Methods: Participants were selected through official channels at the national level, focusing on institutions within Pakistan. The sessions included lectures from international experts in biorisk management concepts, and incorporated poll questions as well as pre- and post-tests and feedback on the speakers' knowledge and presentation skills, to increase interactivity. The pre- and post-test comprised similar multiple-choice questions and provided to every participant to ascertain the impact of the training on awareness and knowledge of biorisk management topics and concepts, and results were compared using paired t-tests. For feedback on the speakers, participants were asked to submit their ratings measured on a five-point Likert scale. The reliability of the Likert scale was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. Analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 23. Results: In total, 52 individuals from different laboratories across Pakistan and Pakistani students from abroad (China) as well participated in at least one session of the IVT. The participants' pre- and post-test scores showed a significant increase in knowledge and awareness (p < 0.001). The obtained Cronbach's alpha score was >0.8, indicating high reliability of the generated feedback on the IVT approach and speakers. Conclusion: The IVT on biosafety and biosecurity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic proved beneficial for laboratory professionals and could be a useful model to continue in the future for raising awareness and knowledge.

Construção e validação de instrumento para avaliação das medidas de biossegurança em bioterrorismo pelos bombeiros / Construction and validation of and assessment tool for biosafety measures in bioterrorism for firefighters / Construcción y validación de un instrumento para evaluar las medidas de bioseguridad en el bioterrorismo de los bomberos

Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver e validar um instrumento de avaliação das medidas de Biossegurança adotadas pelos bombeiros militares, para a contenção dos agentes biológicos frente a um evento de bioterrorismo. Métodos: Tratou-se de um estudo descritivo de abordagem quantitativa, de desenvolvimento metodológico e do tipo de validação de conteúdo de um instrumento de avaliação. O estudo foi dividido nas fases de desenvolvimento e validação do instrumento. Para o desenvolvimento do instrumento foram feitas revisões da literatura e para a validação do instrumento foi utilizado o método Delphi. Para o estudo foram incluídos 6 juízes que avaliaram o instrumento através da escala numérica tipo Likert. Resultados: Os juízes avaliaram que o instrumento proposto está bem estruturado, possuindo boa clareza e coesão de escrita, com aplicabilidade no campo de estudo e de grande relevância, principalmente em vista a ausência desse tipo de instrumento para a população de bombeiros militares. Para avaliar a concordância entre os juízes foi utilizado o índice de Validade de Conteúdo, que alcançou 98% de concordância e o Índice de Fidedignidade Interavaliadores, que alcançou os conceitos bom e muito bom, mostrando baixa variância das respostas dos juízes, sendo estatisticamente válido. Conclusão: O estudo descreveu o processo de construção e validação do instrumento, provando ser apropriado e confiável para ser utilizado.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to assess the Biosafety measures adopted by firefighters, for the containment of biological agents in the face of a bioterrorism event. Methods: This is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach, methodological development, and the type of content validation of an assessment instrument. The study was divided into instrument development and validation phases. For the development of the instrument, literature reviews were conducted and for the instrument validation, the Delphi method was used. For the study, 6 judges were included who evaluated the instrument using the Likert-type numerical scale. Results: The judges evaluated that the proposed instrument is well structured, with good clarity and cohesion of writing, with applicability in the field of study and of great relevance, especially considering the absence of this type of instrument for the military firefighter population. To evaluate the agreement between the judges, we used the Content Validity Index which reached 98% of agreement and the Interrate agreement, which reached the concepts good and very good, showing low variance of the judges' answers, being statistically valid. Conclusion: The study described the process of construction and validation of the instrument, proving to be appropriate and reliable to be used.

Objetivo: Este estudio tenía como objetivo desarrollar y validar un instrumento para evaluar las medidas de bioseguridad adoptadas por los bomberos militares para contener los agentes biológicos durante un evento de bioterrorismo. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo de abordaje cuantitativo, de desarrollo metodológico y del tipo de validación de contenido de un instrumento de evaluación. El estudio se dividió en las fases de desarrollo y validación del instrumento. Para la elaboración del instrumento se realizaron revisiones bibliográficas y para la validación del mismo se utilizó el método Delphi. Para el estudio se incluyeron 6 jueces que evaluaron el instrumento mediante una escala numérica tipo Likert. Resultados: Los jueces evaluaron que el instrumento propuesto está bien estructurado, poseyendo buena claridad y cohesión de redacción, con aplicabilidad en el campo de estudio y de gran relevancia, especialmente en vista de la ausencia de este tipo de instrumento para la población de bomberos militares. Se utilizó el Índice de Validez de Contenido para evaluar la concordancia entre los jueces, alcanzando un 98% de acuerdo y el Índice de Fiabilidad Inter-registrador, que alcanzó conceptos buenos y muy buenos, mostrando una baja varianza en las respuestas de los jueces, siendo estadísticamente válido. Conclusión: El estudio describió el proceso de construcción y validación del instrumento, demostrando ser apropiado y confiable para ser utilizado.

Medidas de biossegurança nos consultórios odontológicos durante a pandemia de COVID-19: estudo com profissionais de saúde bucal do estado do Paraná / Biosafety measures in dental offices during the COVID-19 pandemic: a study with oral health professionals in the state of Paraná

Com o surgimento da pandemia causada pelo SARS-Cov-2, houve a necessidade de reestruturação dos serviços de saúde no Brasil, incluindo a clínica odontológica. O objetivo do presente estudo é descrever as medidas de biossegurança realizadas ou modificadas na prática de saúde bucal no estado do Paraná, em nível público e privado, envolvendo três categorias profissionais: cirurgiões-dentistas (CD), técnicos em saúde bucal (TSB) e auxiliares de saúde bucal (ASB). Esta pesquisa transversal descritiva foi realizada nos meses de agosto a outubro de 2020, com o envio de questionários on-linepor e-maile divulgação em redes sociais. Foram envolvidos 1072 profissionais, sendo 75,6% CD, 16,3% ASB e 8,1% TSB. O gênero feminino foi predominante entre os participantes (81,1%), com 46,1% apresentando idade entre 40 e 59 anos. Gorro, máscara cirúrgica, óculos de proteção e protetor facial são referidos como sempre utilizados, respectivamente, por 92,3%, 81,0%, 80,0% e 79,1% dos participantes. A máscara N95/PFF2 (67,5%) e o avental impermeável (20,3%) tiverem os maiores percentuais de "nunca disponíveis ou utilizados". Cerca de 50% afirmaram que tiveram acesso à Nota Técnica GVIMS/GGTES/ANVISA Nº 04/2020. Os profissionais avaliados, em geral, realizaram mudanças em suas práticas de biossegurança, mas precisam ser acompanhados durante toda a extensão da pandemia.

With the emergence of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, there was a need to restructure health services in Brazil, including the dental clinic. The aim of the present study was to describe the biosafety measures performed or modified in oral health practice at public and private levels, involving the three professional categories: dental surgeons (DDS), oral health technicians(OHT), and health assistants (HA) in the state of Paraná. This escriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out from August to October 2020, with an online questionnaire being sent by email and published on social networks. There were 1072 professionalsinvolved, of which 75.6% were DDS, 16.3% were OHT, and 8.1% were HA. The female gender was predominant among the participants (81.1%), and 46.1% were aged between 40 and 59 years. 92.3%, 81.0%, 80.0%, and 79.1% of the articipants, respectively, said theyalways used a cap, surgical mask, protective glasses, and face shield. The N95/PFF2 mask (67.5%) and the waterproof apron (20.3%) are two of the most frequently mentioned items as never being available or used. About 51% said they had access to Technical Note GVIMS/GGTES/ANVISA No. 04/2020. In general, the professionals evaluated have been making changes in their biosafety practices, but they still need to be monitored throughout the pandemic.

The efficacy of commercial decontamination agents differs between standardised test settings and research laboratory usage for a variety of bacterial species.

Decontamination of surfaces and items plays an important role in reducing the spread of infectious microorganisms in many settings including hospitals and research institutes. Regardless of the location, appropriate decontamination procedures are required for maintaining biosafety and biosecurity. For example, effective decontamination of microbial cultures is essential to ensure proper biocontainment and safety within microbiological laboratories. To this end, many commercial decontamination agents are available which have been tested to a prescribed standard to substantiate their efficacy. However, these standardised tests are unlikely to accurately reflect many conditions encountered in medical and biomedical research. Despite this, laboratory workers and other users of decontamination agents may assume that all decontamination agents will work in all situations. We tested commonly used commercial decontamination agents against a range of bacterial species to determine their efficacy under real-world research laboratory conditions. As each decontamination agent has a different recommended dilution for use, to compare their efficacy we calculated their 'effective ratio' which reflects the difference between the manufacturer-recommended dilution and the dilution needed to achieve decontamination under real-world research laboratory conditions. Effective ratios above one indicate that the agent was effective at a dilution more dilute than recommended whereas effective ratios lower than one indicate that the agent required a higher concentration than recommended. Our results show that the quaternary ammonium agents TriGene Advance and Chemgene HLD4L were the most effective out of the agents tested, with biocidal activity measured at up to 64 times the recommended dilution. In contrast, hypochlorite (bleach) and Prevail™ (stabilised hydrogen peroxide) had the lowest effective ratios amongst the tested agents. In conclusion, our data suggests that not all decontamination agents will work at the recommended dilutions under real-world research laboratory conditions. We recommend that the protocols for the use of decontamination agents are verified under the specific conditions required to ensure they are fit for purpose.

Conocimiento y percepción sobre bioseguridad en estudiantes de medicina / Knowledge and perception about biosafety in medical students

Los estudiantes de medicina pueden estar expuestos a infecciones graves relacionadas con la atención de la salud si no siguen las medidas de prevención y control. Hay información limitada sobre el conocimiento y la percepción de los estudiantes de medicina con respecto a la bioseguridad y los enfoques educativos utilizados para enseñarles estas prácticas. El objetivo fue evaluar el conocimiento y la percepción de los estudiantes de medicina hacia las prácticas básicas de bioseguridad. Una encuesta descriptiva y transversal basada en entrevistas incluyó a 120 estudiantes de medicina de la Universidad Regional Autónoma de los Andes, Ecuador. Los estudiantes completaron un cuestionario sobre el conocimiento y la percepción con respecto a las prácticas de bioseguridad. El conocimiento de los estudiantes se evaluó por sus respuestas correctas a las preguntas del instrumento. El 57,5% de los estudiantes cumplen con las medidas de bioseguridad. La mayoría de los estudiantes perciben alto de riesgo de exposición a través de diferentes rutas con distintos patógenos, el argumento mayormente reportado fue el que puede ocurrir un accidente. Se observó que 81(67,5%) de los estudiantes mostraron tener conocimiento adecuado sobre bioseguridad, mientras que 39 demostraron lo contrario. El conocimiento sobre la bioseguridad fue bueno aunque se necesita más énfasis para mejorar su conocimiento en secciones como la técnica de colocación de guantes, momento de colocarse el gorro y qué es una sustancia antiséptica. Los cursos de Prevención y Control de Infecciones se pueden impartir a partir de su primer año de educación universitaria(AU)

Medical students can be exposed to serious health care-associated infections, if they are not following prevention and control measures. There is limited information on medical students' knowledge and perception of biosafety and the educational approaches used to teach these practices. The objective was to evaluate the knowledge and perception of medical students towards basic biosafety practices. A descriptive and cross-sectional, interview-based survey included 120 medical students from the Autonomous Regional University of the Andes, Ecuador. The students completed a questionnaire on knowledge and perception regarding biosafety practices. The knowledge of the students was evaluated by their correct answers to the questions of the instrument. 57.5% of students comply with biosafety measures. Most of the students perceive a high risk of exposure through different routes with different pathogens, the most reported argument was that an accident can occur. It was observed that 81 (67.5%) of the students showed adequate knowledge about biosafety, while 39 showed the opposite. Biosafety knowledge was good although more emphasis is needed to improve their knowledge in sections such as gloving technique, time to put on the cap and what is an antiseptic substance. Infection Prevention and Control courses can be taught beginning in your first year of college education(AU)

Discovering trends and hotspots of biosafety and biosecurity research via machine learning.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected hundreds of millions of people and killed millions of them. As an RNA virus, COVID-19 is more susceptible to variation than other viruses. Many problems involved in this epidemic have made biosafety and biosecurity (hereafter collectively referred to as 'biosafety') a popular and timely topic globally. Biosafety research covers a broad and diverse range of topics, and it is important to quickly identify hotspots and trends in biosafety research through big data analysis. However, the data-driven literature on biosafety research discovery is quite scant. We developed a novel topic model based on latent Dirichlet allocation, affinity propagation clustering and the PageRank algorithm (LDAPR) to extract knowledge from biosafety research publications from 2011 to 2020. Then, we conducted hotspot and trend analysis with LDAPR and carried out further studies, including annual hot topic extraction, a 10-year keyword evolution trend analysis, topic map construction, hot region discovery and fine-grained correlation analysis of interdisciplinary research topic trends. These analyses revealed valuable information that can guide epidemic prevention work: (1) the research enthusiasm over a certain infectious disease not only is related to its epidemic characteristics but also is affected by the progress of research on other diseases, and (2) infectious diseases are not only strongly related to their corresponding microorganisms but also potentially related to other specific microorganisms. The detailed experimental results and our code are available at https://github.com/KEAML-JLU/Biosafety-analysis.

Biosecurity in an age of open science.

The risk of accidental or deliberate misuse of biological research is increasing as biotechnology advances. As open science becomes widespread, we must consider its impact on those risks and develop solutions that ensure security while facilitating scientific progress. Here, we examine the interaction between open science practices and biosecurity and biosafety to identify risks and opportunities for risk mitigation. Increasing the availability of computational tools, datasets, and protocols could increase risks from research with misuse potential. For instance, in the context of viral engineering, open code, data, and materials may increase the risk of release of enhanced pathogens. For this dangerous subset of research, both open science and biosecurity goals may be achieved by using access-controlled repositories or application programming interfaces. While preprints accelerate dissemination of findings, their increased use could challenge strategies for risk mitigation at the publication stage. This highlights the importance of oversight earlier in the research lifecycle. Preregistration of research, a practice promoted by the open science community, provides an opportunity for achieving biosecurity risk assessment at the conception of research. Open science and biosecurity experts have an important role to play in enabling responsible research with maximal societal benefit.

Heat inactivation of clinical COVID-19 samples on an industrial scale for low risk and efficient high-throughput qRT-PCR diagnostic testing.

We report the development of a large scale process for heat inactivation of clinical COVID-19 samples prior to laboratory processing for detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR. With more than 266 million confirmed cases, over 5.26 million deaths already recorded at the time of writing, COVID-19 continues to spread in many parts of the world. Consequently, mass testing for SARS-CoV-2 will remain at the forefront of the COVID-19 response and prevention for the near future. Due to biosafety considerations the standard testing process requires a significant amount of manual handling of patient samples within calibrated microbiological safety cabinets. This makes the process expensive, effects operator ergonomics and restricts testing to higher containment level laboratories. We have successfully modified the process by using industrial catering ovens for bulk heat inactivation of oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swab samples within their secondary containment packaging before processing in the lab to enable all subsequent activities to be performed in the open laboratory. As part of a validation process, we tested greater than 1200 clinical COVID-19 samples and showed less than 1 Cq loss in RT-qPCR test sensitivity. We also demonstrate the bulk heat inactivation protocol inactivates a murine surrogate of human SARS-CoV-2. Using bulk heat inactivation, the assay is no longer reliant on containment level 2 facilities and practices, which reduces cost, improves operator safety and ergonomics and makes the process scalable. In addition, heating as the sole method of virus inactivation is ideally suited to streamlined and more rapid workflows such as 'direct to PCR' assays that do not involve RNA extraction or chemical neutralisation methods.

Challenges and Solutions With Agricultural Animal High Containment Waste Disposal.

Waste disposal in Agricultural Animal High Containment Animal Biosafety Level 3Ag and Animal Biosafety Level 4Ag (ABSL-3Ag and ABSL-4Ag) research facilities necessitates significantly more attention to detail in operations than that required in lower-containment-level laboratories. The unique features and requirements of agricultural-related research involve additional equipment and systems to safely transfer decontaminated waste out of the facility. The waste stream coming from ABSL-3Ag and ABSL-4Ag facilities, or high containment agricultural research waste, consists of many forms and differs from most research facility waste in that it is produced from research with livestock or other species loose housed, with the animal room serving as primary containment. This is in contrast to small laboratory animals being housed in primary containment caging. Waste handling equipment in agricultural research facilities may include autoclaves, effluent decontamination systems, incinerators, high-temperature renderers, alkaline tissue digester systems, high-efficiency particulate air filtration of exhaust and supply air, gas decontamination systems, and laundry facilities. This article focuses primarily on the disposal of waste from ABSL-3Ag livestock facilities, including procedures and lessons learned over 10 years of facility operation.

Biosafety and Proteome Profiles of Different Heat Inactivation Methods for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Studies involving the pathogenic organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis routinely require advanced biosafety laboratory facilities, which might not be readily available in rural areas where tuberculosis burdens are high. Attempts to adapt heat inactivation techniques have led to inconsistent conclusions, and the risk of protein denaturation due to extensive heating is impractical for subsequent mass spectrometry (MS)-based protein analyses. In this study, 240 specimens with one or two loops of M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv biomass and specific inactivated solutions were proportionally assigned to six heat inactivation methods in a thermal block at 80°C and 95°C for 20, 30, and 90 min. Twenty untreated specimens served as a positive control, and bacterial growth was followed up for 12 weeks. Our results showed that 90 min of heat inactivation was necessary for samples with two loops of biomass. Further protein extraction and a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) MS assay demonstrated adequate scores for bacterial identification (≥1.7), with the highest score achieved in the 80°C/90 min and 95°C/30 min treatment groups. A proteomics study also confidently identified 648 proteins with ∼93% to 96% consistent protein abundances following heating at 95°C for 20, 30, and 90 min. Heat inactivation at 95°C for 90 min yielded the most quantifiable proteins, and a functional analysis revealed proteins located in the ribosomal subunit. In summary, we proposed a heat inactivation method for the M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv and studied the preservation of protein components for subsequent bacterial identification and protein-related assays. IMPORTANCE Inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important step to guarantee biosafety for subsequent M. tuberculosis identification and related research, notably in areas of endemicity with minimal resources. However, certain biomolecules might be denatured or hydrolyzed because of the harsh inactivation process, and a standardized protocol is yet to be determined. We evaluated distinct heating conditions to report the inactivation efficiency and performed downstream mass spectrometry-based M. tuberculosis identification and proteomics study. The results are important and useful for both basic and clinical M. tuberculosis studies.

Inactivating Effects of Common Laboratory Disinfectants, Fixatives, and Temperatures on the Eggs of Soil Transmitted Helminths.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are important and widespread intestinal pathogens of humans and animals. It is presently unknown which inactivating procedures may be universally effective for safe transport, preservation, and disinfection of STH-contaminated specimens, and this lack of knowledge may expose laboratory staff to higher risk of laboratory-acquired infections (LAI's). There are limited data on the efficacy of commonly used disinfectants and fecal fixatives for inactivating the eggs of STH. This work tested five disinfectants for surface cleanup, four storage temperature conditions, and six transport/storage fixatives, to inactivate eggs of three species of STH of animal origin (Ascaris suum "roundworm," Trichuris vulpis "whipworm" and Ancylostoma caninum "hookworm") as surrogates for human STH. Among disinfectants, exposure to 10% povidone-iodine for ≥5 min inactivated 100% of the three species tested, while 5 min exposure to 95% ethanol inactivated T. vulpis and A. caninum eggs. All of the fixatives tested had inactivation effects on A. caninum hookworm eggs within 24 h of exposure, except potassium dichromate, which required 48 h. 95% ethanol for ≥48 h inactivated eggs from all three STH species. Freezing at ≤-20°C for ≥24 h inactivated eggs of T. vulpis and A. caninum, but only freezing at -80°C for ≥24 h inactivated >99% eggs, including A. suum. This work provides an evidence base for health and safety guidelines and mitigation strategies for the handling, storage, and disposal of stool samples containing STH eggs in laboratory, health care, childcare, or veterinary settings. IMPORTANCE This study systematically evaluates common laboratory disinfectants and storage conditions for their effectiveness in inactivating the infective stages of soil-transmitted helminths (STH). Animal-infecting proxy species were chosen to represent three major groups of STH that infect humans: roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. Previously published work in this area typically focuses on a particular inactivation method, either for a single STH species, or on a subset of closely related species. Because prediagnostic fecal specimens must be regarded as potentially infectious with a mix of species, such information may be of limited utility in a working laboratory. We provide a straightforward summary of storage and disinfection methods that can achieve complete inactivation across a range of STH species, which represents a significant advance for clinical, veterinary and research laboratory biosafety.

Grado de riesgo biológico al manipular toxina botulínica como medicamento / Degree of Biohazard When Handling Botulinum Toxin as A Medication

Introducción: El uso de la toxina como medicamento constituye un riesgo biológico, debido a la presencia de la toxina, así como al uso indebido que se le puede dar. Objetivo: Evaluar el grado de riesgo biológico al manipular toxina botulínica como medicamento. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal en el Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, La Habana, Cuba, en 2017. Se aplicó una lista de chequeo de riesgo biológico a 6 profesionales del área de tratamiento de toxina botulínica. El resultado integrado de la lista de chequeo se analizó a través del método semicuantitativo "ERBIO". Resultados: La probabilidad se catalogó de "media", el cumplimiento de medidas de contención como "aceptable" y la exposición se consideró como "muy frecuente". Conclusiones: Se constató un grado de riesgo biológico "tolerable" al manipular la toxina botulínica como medicamento en el Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica. Esto implica que se deben considerar mejoras que no supongan una carga económica importante, que requerirán de comprobaciones periódicas para asegurar el mantenimiento de la eficacia de las medidas de control establecidas(AU)

Introduction: The use of the toxin as a medication constitutes a biological risk, due to the presence of the toxin, as well as the potential improper use. Objective: To evaluate the degree of biological risk when Handling botulinum toxin as a medication. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out at the International Center for Neurological Restoration, Havana, Cuba, in 2017. A biological risk checklist was applied to six professionals from the botulinum toxin treatment area. The integrated result of the checklist was analyzed through ERBIO semi-quantitative method. Results: The probability was classified as medium. Compliance with containment measures was assessed as acceptable and the exposure was considered as very frequent. Conclusions: A tolerable degree of biological risk was found when manipulating botulinum toxin as a medication at the International Center for Neurological Restoration. This implies that improvements should be considered not to imply a significant economic burden, which will require periodic checks to ensure the maintenance of the effectiveness of the established control measures(AU)

La bioseguridad en el desarrollo tecnológico de las investigaciones biomédicas / Biosecurity in the technological development of biomedical research

RESUMEN La bioseguridad juega un papel importante en las investigaciones biomédicas. Es preciso conocer las medidas recomendadas para el control de enfermedades en los entornos laborales donde los trabajadores corren el riesgo de contraer enfermedades y convertirse en fuente de infección para los pacientes. El objetivo de este trabajo es contribuir con la divulgación de las medidas de bioseguridad en los laboratorios biomédicos. Se realizó una revisión sistemática de los principales artículos publicados en inglés y español en PubMed, SciELO y MEDLINE. Resulta de gran importancia la divulgación de las medidas de bioseguridad, a fin de garantizar su conocimiento por parte de los profesionales de los diferentes tipos de laboratorios. Ellos están obligados a desarrollar o adoptar un manual de operaciones o de bioseguridad que identifique los riesgos que se encontrarán o puedan producirse, y especifique las prácticas y procedimientos destinados a minimizar o eliminar las exposiciones a estos (AU).

ABSTRACT Biosecurity plays an important role in biomedical research. It is necessary to know the recommended measures for disease control in work environments where workers are at risk of contracting diseases and becoming a source of infection for patients. The aim of this work is to contribute to the dissemination of biosafety measures in biomedical laboratories. A systematic review of the main articles published in English and Spanish in PubMed, SciELO and MEDLINE was carried out. The dissemination of biosafety measures is of great importance in order to ensure their knowledge by professionals in the different types of laboratories. They have to develop or adopt a manual of operations or biosecurity that identifies the risks that will be found or may occur, and specifies the practices and procedures to minimize or eliminate exposures to them (AU).

Covid-19: biossegurança e educação em saúde em estabelecimentos veterinários no município de Niterói, Rj, Brasil / Covid-19: biosafety and health education in veterinary establishments in the city of Niterói, Rj, Brazil / Covid-19: bioseguridad y educación en salud en establecimientos veterinarios en la ciudad de Niterói, Rj, Brasil

O Brasil passa atualmente por uma grave pandemia de uma doença viral emergente denominada Covid-19, a qual já levou ao óbito centenas de milhares de pessoas. Como medidas de controle da doença, vêm sendo implementadas ações de distanciamento social com o fechamento, total ou parcial, de diversas atividades econômicas não prioritárias. O setor veterinário se encontra entre os estabelecimentos não atingidos por essas medidas, devido à necessidade de atendimentos emergenciais para a saúde animal. O presente trabalho, de caráter observacional, seccional e descritivo, buscou descrever e avaliar o conhecimento dos médicos veterinários acerca da doença e seu potencial zoonótico, as medidas tomadas nos estabelecimentos veterinários visando prevenir a transmissão do vírus da Covid-19 para as pessoas e animais e as recomendações realizadas aos tutores de animais de companhia no município de Niterói. Os resultados indicaram que os médicos veterinários apresentaram dificuldade quanto ao reconhecimento da doença como uma zoonose, apesar de conhecerem os modos de transmissão e os animais afetados pela enfermidade, além disso, esses profissionais faziam recomendações aos tutores visando evitar a transmissão da doença. Os estabelecimentos veterinários pesquisados buscaram se adequar para o enfrentamento da epidemia, principalmente com medidas que não os impactassem do ponto de vista econômico.(AU)

Brazil is currently facing a severe pandemic caused by an emerging viral disease referred to as Covid-19, which has led to thousands of deaths. As a means to control the spread of the disease, total and partial social distancing initiatives have been implemented in several non-essential economic activities. Veterinary clinics and pet shops have not been affected by these measures due to the demand for emergency animal care. This work, as an observational, sectional and descriptive based effort, aimed at describing and evaluating the knowledge among veterinarians regarding the disease and its zoonotic potential, the measures adopted by the clinics to prevent Covid-19 transmission to people and animals, and the recommendations to pet tutors in the municipality of Niterói. According to the results, veterinarians presented difficulty in recognizing the disease as a zoonosis, despite being aware of its transmission methods and the animals it affected. These professionals also recommended certain actions to pet tutors to avoid the spread of the disease. The surveyed clinics sought to be prepared to face the epidemic, mainly through measures that would not cause them economic impact.(AU)

Brasil atraviesa actualmente una grave pandemia de una enfermedad viral emergente llamada Covid-19, que ya ha provocado la muerte de cientos de miles de personas. Como medidas de control de la enfermedad se han implementado acciones de distanciamiento social con el cierre, total o parcial, de varias actividades económicas no prioritarias. Entre los establecimientos no afectados por estas medidas se encuentran los del ramo veterinario, debido a la necesidad de cuidados urgentes a la salud animal. El presente trabajo, de carácter observacional, seccional y descriptivo, buscó describir y evaluar el conocimiento de los médicos veterinarios sobre la enfermedad y su potencial zoonótico, las medidas tomadas en los establecimientos veterinarios con el fin de prevenir la transmisión del virus de la Covid-19 a personas y animales, y las recomendaciones realizadas a los tutores de animales de compañía del municipio de Niterói. Los resultados mostraron que los veterinarios tenían dificultades para reconocer la enfermedad como una zoonosis, a pesar de conocer los modos de transmisión y los animales afectados por la enfermedad, además, los profesionales hacían recomendaciones a los tutores para evitar la transmisión de la enfermedad. Los establecimientos veterinarios investigados buscaron adaptarse para hacer frente a la epidemia, especialmente con medidas que no les afectaran mucho desde el punto de vista económico.(AU)