Neisseria meningitidis - Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

 

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET - INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES

SECTION I - INFECTIOUS AGENT

NAME: Neisseria spp. (other than N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis)

SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: N. lactamica, N. mucosa, N. polysaccharea, N. subflava, N. sicca, N. mucosa, N. cinerea, N. flavescens

CHARACTERISTICS: Family Neisseriaceae; gram negative diplococci, kidney bean-shaped, aerobic or facultatively aerobic, oxidative, non-motile, form tetrads

SECTION II - HEALTH HAZARD

PATHOGENICITY: Inhabit the oro- and nasopharyngeal mucous membranes; usually non-pathogenic; pigmented forms occasionally associated with meningitis (N. flavescens, N. subflava); N. lactamica found frequently in throat and nasopharyngeal cultures of infants (occasionally causes endocarditis and meningitis); N. mucosa found in human nasopharynx and occasionally causes pneumonia; implicated as an etiologic agent in meningitis, bacteremia, endocarditis, empyema, pericarditis and pneumonia

EPIDEMIOLOGY: Worldwide

HOST RANGE: Humans

INFECTIOUS DOSE: Not known

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: By contact with droplets and discharges from nose and throat of infected persons; not common as organisms are of low virulence

INCUBATION PERIOD: Possibly 1-2 weeks

COMMUNICABILITY: Low communicability

SECTION III - DISSEMINATION

RESERVOIR: Humans

ZOONOSIS: None

VECTORS: None

SECTION IV - VIABILITY

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Sensitive to penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline and erythromycin

DRUB RESISTANCE: Presence of Tet-M gene confers tetracyline resistance in some strains; N. cinerea are less susceptible to erythromycin

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

PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Susceptible to moist heat (121° C for at least 15 min) and dry heat (160-170° C for at least 1 hour)

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Limited

SECTION V - MEDICAL

SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms; confirm by smear of CSF to demonstrate organism

FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Antibiotic therapy

IMMUNIZATION: None

PROPHYLAXIS: None

SECTION VI - LABORATORY HAZARDS

LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: Low risk of infection

SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Nasopharyngeal specimens, cerebrospinal fluid, blood

PRIMARY HAZARDS: Parenteral inoculation; droplet exposure of mucous membranes

SPECIAL HAZARDS: None

SECTION VII - RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS

CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices and containment for all activities utilizing known or potentially infectious specimens and cultures

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

OTHER PRECAUTIONS: None

SECTION VIII - HANDLING INFORMATION

SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, gently cover spill with paper towel and then 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