Plesiomonas shigelloides - Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

 

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET - INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES

SECTION I - INFECTIOUS AGENT

NAME: Plesiomonas shigelloides

SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Formerly Aeromonas shigelloides

CHARACTERISTICS: Gram negative rod, straight with rounded ends, 3.0 µm long and 0.8-1.0 µm wide, facultatively anaerobic, polar flagella, asporogenous, usually motile, minimum growth temperature is 8° C

SECTION II - HEALTH HAZARD

PATHOGENICITY: Causative agent of gastroenteritis as well as of extraintestinal infection primarily septicemia and meningitis; mortality associated with extraintestinal infections is high; rarely causes systemic infections in immunodeficiency, liver cirrhosis and diabetes; symptoms include fever, chills, abdominal pain, nausea, water stools, dysentery-like diarrhea, vomiting; symptoms may begin 24 hours after consumption of contaminated food or water; duration of illness 1-7 days in healthy people

EPIDEMIOLOGY: Occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical areas: rarely in North America and Europe; peaks in summer months

HOST RANGE: Humans, animals (monkeys, dogs, fowl)

INFECTIOUS DOSE: Not known

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: Fecal-oral route; contaminated water; consumption of raw seafood; with exposure to amphibians or reptiles

INCUBATION PERIOD: Not clearly identified

COMMUNICABILITY: Communicable especially in overcrowded conditions, as long as organism is present in feces

SECTION III - DISSEMINATION

RESERVOIR: Numerous animal sources, intestine of humans, freshwater, estuarine water in tropical countries and seawater

ZOONOSIS: Yes

VECTORS: None

SECTION IV - VIABILITY

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Sensitive to many antibiotics, excluding penicillins

DRUG RESISTANCE: Resistant to aminoglycosides (except netilmicin) and tetracyclines

SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to many disinfectants - 1% sodium hypochlorite, 70% ethanol, 2% glutaraldehyde, iodines, phenolics, formaldehyde

PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Sensitive to moist heat (121° C for at least 15 min) and dry heat (160-170° C for at least l hour)

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Does not survive well outside of host; contaminated seawater samples - 22-25 hours

SECTION V - MEDICAL

SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms

FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Electrolyte and fluid replacement; antibiotic therapy where indicated

IMMUNIZATION: None

PROPHYLAXIS: Not usually administered

SECTION VI - LABORATORY HAZARDS

LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: None reported to date

SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Feces, urine, blood, CSF

PRIMARY HAZARDS: Ingestion, accidental parenteral inoculation

SPECIAL HAZARDS: None

SECTION VII - RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS

CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices, facilities and containment equipment for all activities involving cultures and infected clinical materials

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Laboratory coat; gloves when contact with infectious materials is unavoidable

OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Good personal hygiene and frequent hand washing

SECTION VIII - HANDLING INFORMATION

SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, gently cover spill with absorbent paper towel and apply 1% sodium hypochlorite, starting at perimeter and working towards the centre; allow sufficient contact time (30 min) before clean up

DISPOSAL: Decontaminate before disposal; steam sterilization, chemical disinfection, incineration

STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labelled

SECTION IX - MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Date prepared: March, 2001

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, 2001