Workshop: Managing Health Risks to Wastewater Workers from Ebola and Other Emerging Pathogens: Science and Solutions

1619958麦克唐纳·吉布森2014年的埃博拉疫情突显了评估下水道维修人员和污水处理厂操作员的传染病风险的迫切需要，他们可能会接触到含有病原体的污水。先前的研究表明，生活污水含有从诺如病毒到甲型肝炎的广泛病原体。与普通人群相比，污水处理工人患传染性疾病的风险更高。这个拟议的研讨会将让科学家、废水处理公司和管理人员以及政府监管机构评估现有证据，以决定如何保护废水和下水道工人免受职业接触病原体的影响。下水道和废水工人感染传染病的风险增加是确凿无疑的，但关于降低这些风险的替代措施的有效性，几乎没有科学证据。为了制定循证解决方案，关于可能导致传染病暴露的工作任务的信息、每项任务的潜在废水暴露量、这一劳动力中当前的职业安全做法以及替代安全做法降低风险的可能性是必不可少的。该研讨会将有助于满足这些关键的信息需求。研讨会将产生四个产品：1.研讨会报告，描述废水和下水道工人可能接触病原体的潜在任务、每项任务的估计暴露量、保护这些工人免受病原体侵袭的当前做法、当前做法与推荐做法之间的差距以及填补知识差距所需的研究；2.贝叶斯信念网络风险模型，用于预测替代风险管理方案下的传染病风险，并诊断废水或下水道工人因职业暴露而患传染病的可能性；3.同行评议的期刊文章，评估了废水和下水道工人面临的传染病风险，描述了这些工人目前的传染病预防做法，分析了当前做法和最佳做法之间的差距，并概述了提高保护这一人群的能力所需进行的研究；4工作任务海报，说明了为每项废水和下水道工作任务建议的个人防护装备，以防止接触病原体。该项目将加强现有证据，以保护美国约136,000名废水和下水道工人的健康。反过来，由于废水处理厂是传染病传播的主要障碍之一，保护废水和下水道工人的健康将有助于确保美国社区的公共健康。

1619958MacDonald GibsonThe 2014 Ebola epidemic highlighted a critical need to evaluate infectious disease risks to sewer repair crews and wastewater treatment plant operators who could come into contact with pathogen-containing sewage. Prior research indicates that domestic wastewater contains a wide range of pathogens, from noroviruses to hepatitis A. Wastewater workers are at increased risk of infectious illnesses compared to the general population. This proposed workshop would engage scientists, wastewater utility operators and managers, and government regulators in assessing available evidence to decide how to protect wastewater and sewer workers from occupational exposure to pathogens.Increased risk of infectious illnesses among sewer and wastewater workers is well established, but little scientific evidence exists on the effectiveness of alternative measures for reducing these risks. In order to develop evidence-based solutions, information on job tasks that may lead to infectious disease exposure, potential wastewater exposure volumes for each task, current occupational safety practices among this workforce, and the potential for alternative safety practices to reduce risks, is essential. This workshop will help fill these critical information needs. The workshop will lead to four products: 1. Workshop report describing potential tasks during which wastewater and sewer workers could be exposed to pathogens, estimated exposure volumes for each task, current practices for protecting these workers from pathogens, gaps between current practices and recommended practices, and research needed to fill knowledge gaps; 2. Bayesian belief network risk model for predicting infectious disease risks under alternative risk management scenarios and for diagnosing the likelihood that an infectious illness in a wastewater or sewer worker arose from occupational exposure; 3. Peer-reviewed journal article assessing the magnitude of infectious disease risks to wastewater and sewer workers, describing current infectious disease prevention practices among these workers, analyzing the gaps between current and best practices, and outlining research needed to improve the ability to protect this population; 4 Poster of job tasks illustrating recommended personal protective equipment for each wastewater and sewer job task in order to prevent exposure to pathogens. This project will strengthen the evidence available for protecting the health of the approximately 136,000 wastewater and sewer workers in the United States. In turn, because wastewater treatment plants are one of the main barriers to infectious disease transmission, protecting the health of the wastewater and sewer workforce will contribute to ensuring public health in U.S. communities.