Montana lab employee exposed to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

 A Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) employee was exposed to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in November according to officials from RML and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.

“The individual remained well and showed no evidence of being infected. They have been back at work for some time,” RML Associate Director for Scientific Management Marshall Bloom stated in an email on Tuesday.

RML is a remote campus of NIH, which confirmed the exposure Wednesday in an email to Lee Newspapers stating “At no time was there any risk to the public or to other staff.”

“The biological incident reported occurred when a Rocky Mountain Laboratories employee was found to be potentially exposed to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever through an accidental breach of personal protective equipment,” NIH told the Ravalli Republic. “The employee was immediately isolated and monitored under appropriate care at a specialized medical facility before it was confirmed that no actual exposure or transmission had occurred. At no time was there any risk to the public or to other staff.”

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne illness with a fatality rate of 30% or higher according to the National Institutes of Health. The disease is caused by the CCHF virus (CCHFV), with cases reported throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia and southern and eastern Europe.

Symptoms of a CCHF infection occur after a short incubation period and typically include the sudden onset of a high fever, chills, severe headache, dizziness, back and abdominal pains, according to NIH. Additional symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular changes, and in severe cases, hemorrhagic manifestations.

RML, a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory, has long been known for its research into tick-borne illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease, among other infectious diseases. The Hamilton lab initially evolved out of research into Rocky Mountain spotted fever that started around 1900.

The lab employs several world-renowned scientists whose research has contributed to breakthroughs in the fights against diseases such as COVID-19, Sudan virus (one of four viruses known to cause human Ebola disease), MERS, salmonella, SARS and neuro-degenerative brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/rml-employee-exposed-to-crimean-congo-hemorrhagic-fever/article_89466605-8ff2-5d79-af1f-c955d5200b7c.htm