Evaluation of Protective Clothing for Handling Small Mammals Potentially Infected with Aerosol-borne Zoonotic Agents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the protection provided by surgical gowns and coveralls against aerosol contamination. We also sought to quantify the aerosol exposure in terms of particles depositing on the clothing of workers involved in the Montana Longitudinal Hantavirus Study. Prior to sampling, florescent dust was inserted into live rodent traps. Sampling strategies involved two individuals mimicking established rodent handling procedures while wearing protective clothing in the form of tyvek coveralls and/or surgical gowns. A protocol was designed to quantify exposures by counting the number of squares on a pre-drawn grid which were contaminated with florescent particles. This grid covered the front of the tyvek suits worn by the workers, excluding the face, hands and feet, and extended around the cuff of both sleeves. Tyvek coveralls were found to provide a significant degree of protection against aerosolized dust originating from small rodent live traps relative to wearing no form of protective clothing. Surgical gowns provided a significantly greater degree of protection against aerosolized dust than tyvek coveralls. The individual handling the mice (biologist) consistently had greater mean exposure values than the data recorder (technician).