Monitoring Laboratory Occupational Exposures to Burkholderia pseudomallei.

Background: Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Tier 1 overlap select agent and subject to the select agent regulations (42 CFR §73 and 9 CFR §121). It is a gram-negative, motile, soil saprophyte, and the etiologic agent of melioidosis. B. pseudomallei infection can produce systemic illness and can be fatal in the absence of appropriate treatment. Laboratory exposures involving this organism may occur when appropriate containment measures are not employed. Current disease treatment inadequacies and the risk factors associated with melioidosis make this an agent of primary concern in research, commercial, and clinical laboratory environments. Results: This study presents data reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Select Agents and Toxins for releases involving B. pseudomallei in 2017-2019 that occurred in Biosafety Level (BSL)-2 and BSL-3 laboratories. Fifty-one Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)/CDC Form 3 release reports led to the medical surveillance of 275 individuals. Entities offered post-exposure prophylaxis to ∼76% of the individuals impacted in the presented events. Summary: Laboratory safety can be improved by implementing appropriate safety precautions to minimize exposures. Most of the incidents discussed in this evidence-based report occurred during work conducted in the absence of primary containment. None of the releases resulted in illness, death, or transmission to or among workers, nor was there transmission outside of a laboratory into the surrounding environment or community. Effective risk assessment and management strategies coupled with standard and special microbiological policies and procedures can result in reduced exposures and improved safety at facilities.

Molecular characterization of the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) gene in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

The insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gene was characterized in channel catfish. Partial cDNA sequence, missing exon 1 and part of exon 2, was obtained in 5'- and 3'-RACE experiments. Direct sequencing of two bacterial artificial chromosome clones revealed gene structure and provided sequence from 640 bp upstream of the initiator methionine to 136 bp beyond the polyadenylation site. Genomic sequence contained a putative TATA box 506 bp upstream of the initiator methionine. The 477-bp reading frame within five exons encoded a 159-amino acid (aa) pre-propeptide highly similar to IGF-I in higher vertebrates. The sequence encoding the signal peptide was unique in catfish and contained 70% G+C content with the potential for a stable stem-loop structure. Full-length cDNA was only maintained in recombination-deficient (DH10B) strain E. coli. Levels of IGF-I mRNA were highest in liver, followed by brain and muscle, then heart and kidney (P<0.05). A CT/GA dinucleotide microsatellite in intron 1 was highly polymorphic in commercial channel catfish, and permitted placement of the IGF-I gene on the catfish genetic map. However, specific IGF-I alleles were not correlated with differences in growth rate from 100 to 130 days post-hatch in USDA103 line catfish.