Ebola virus - Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

 

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET - INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES

SECTION I - INFECTIOUS AGENT

NAME: Ebola virus

SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: African hemorrhagic fever, Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), Ebola disease, EBO, EBOV

CHARACTERISTICS: Filoviridae; pleomorphic, 80nm diameter and 970 nm in length ( can be up to 14,000 nm in length), helical nucleocapsid, nonsegmented negative ssRNA, enveloped

SECTION II - HEALTH HAZARD

PATHOGENICITY: Sudden onset with high fever, malaise, abdominal pain, myalgias, vomiting, diarrhea; maculopapular rash, renal and hepatic involvement and hemorrhagic diathesis; involvement of liver, pancreas, kidney, and to a much less degree the CNS and heart; leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and transaminase elevation; 50%-90% case fatality rate; Subtype EBOV-Reston causes fatal hemorrhagic disease in non -human primates

EPIDEMIOLOGY: First recognized in the Sudan and Democratic Rep. of the Congo (formerly Zaire) in 1976 (epidemic involved over 500 cases with at least 350 deaths); second outbreak in the Sudan in 1979; antibodies in 7% of asymptomatic individuals in the epidemic area; third outbreak in Kikwit, Democratic Rep. of the Congo in 1995; fourth outbreak in Uganda in 2000; last outbreak in Gabon/The Republic of the Congo in 2001-2002; four genetically different subtypes: EBOV-Zaire, EBOV-Sudan, EBOV-Ivory Coast and EBOV-Reston (Reston causes disease in non-human primates; however, clinically asymptomatic in humans); two outbreaks of EBOV-Reston in USA 1989, 1996

HOST RANGE: Humans, monkeys, Chimpanzees, domestic guinea pigs

INFECTIOUS DOSE: Unknown; less than 10 infectious units by aerosol for non-human primates

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: Person to person transmission by intimate contact is the main route of infection (direct contact with infected blood, secretions, organs or semen); contaminated syringes and needles facilitated virus transmission noscomially in outbreak; transmission by droplets and small particle aerosols have been observed in outbreaks among experimentally infected monkeys; all EBOV subtypes have displayed the ability to be spread through airborne particles (aerosols) under research conditions; however, there is no evidence to indicate aerosol transmission of EBOV in human outbreaks is an important route of transmission

INCUBATION PERIOD: 2-21 days (5 -12 days in most cases)

COMMUNICABILITY: Communicable as long as blood and secretions contain virus (isolated 61 days after onset of illness); secondary infections occurred in 5% of case contacts in Zaire and 10-15% in Sudan; transmission through semen has occurred 7 weeks after clinical recovery

SECTION III - DISSEMINATION

RESERVOIR: Natural reservoir is unknown; antibodies found in domestic guinea pigs but no evidence of transmission to humans

ZOONOSIS: Probably transmitted from animals (causes disease in non-human primates)

VECTORS: Unknown

SECTION IV - VIABILITY

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: N/A

SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to 2% sodium hypochlorite, 2% glutaraldehyde, 5% peracetic acid, 1% formalin

PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Susceptible to ultra-violet irradiation, Triton X-100 will greatly reduce infectivity, heating to 60°C for 1hr will render samples noninfectious, virus inactivated with 0.3% betapropiolactone for 30 minutes at 37°C, serum samples can be inactivated by 2 megarad of gamma irradiation

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Survive in blood specimens for several weeks at room temperature; does not survive for long periods after drying; several weeks in corps

SECTION V - MEDICAL

SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for characteristic clinical course and epidemiologic features; confirmation by virus isolation or serology (in a level 4 facility, or in a level 2 facility if the virus has been previously inactivated). Indirect fluorescent antibody results should be confirmed using western blot assay, immunohisto chemistry (IHC).

FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Treatment is directed at maintaining renal function and electrolyte balance and combatting hemorrhage and shock; transfusion of convalescent serum may be beneficial. Ribavarin has not been shown to be effective in vitro against Ebola virus; however, its use for treatment or prophylaxis may be considered

IMMUNIZATION: None

PROPHYLAXIS: See Treatment

SECTION VI - LABORATORY HAZARDS

LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: 1 reported near-fatal case of lab-acquired Ebola fever following a minute finger prick; Swiss zoologist contacted Ebola virus after autopsy on chimpanzees

SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Blood, urine, respiratory and throat secretions, semen and other tissues from human or animal hosts; arthropods, rodents and non-human primates represent a potential source of infection

PRIMARY HAZARDS: Exposure to infectious aerosols and droplets, direct contact with broken skin or mucous membranes, accidental parenteral inoculation

SPECIAL HAZARDS: Work with or exposure to rodents or nonhuman primates represents a risk of human infection

SECTION VII - RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS

CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 4 practices, containment equipment and facilities are recommended for all activities involving known or suspected infectious materials of human or animal origin

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Street clothing is removed and complete laboratory clothing is used, the nature of which depends on the level 4 design (suit lab/cabinet line)

OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Clinical specimens from persons suspected of being infected with this virus should be submitted to a level 4 containment facility; in field, use of universal blood and body fluid precautions and barrier nursing techniques (face shield, goggles, mask rubber gloves, etc)

SECTION VIII - HANDLING INFORMATION

SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, preferably full face respirators equipped with HEPA filters, gently cover spill with paper towels and apply 2% sodium hypochlorite, starting at perimeter and working towards the centre; allow sufficient contact time before clean up (30 min); Repeat once

DISPOSAL: Decontaminate all materials for disposal from the containment laboratory by steam sterilization, chemical disinfection, incineration or by gaseous methods; these include liquid and solid wastes

STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labelled and contained within the level 4 facility

SECTION IX - MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Date prepared: November, 2002

Prepared by: Office of Laboratory Security, PHAC

Although the information, opinions and recommendations contained in this Material Safety Data Sheet are compiled from sources believed to be reliable, we accept no responsibility for the accuracy, sufficiency, or reliability or for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information. Newly discovered hazards are frequent and this information may not be completely up to date.

Copyright ©
Health Canada, 2002