Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T04:24:23.534Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Observations on environmental contamination in a microbiological laboratory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

R. W. S. Harvey ,
T. H. Price  and
D. H. M. Joynson
R. W. S. Harvey
Affiliation:
Regional Public Health Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff
T. H. Price
Affiliation:
Regional Public Health Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff
D. H. M. Joynson
Affiliation:
Regional Public Health Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Contamination of a laboratory environment with pathogenic or non-pathogenic micro-organisms may be relevant to safety of technicians and quality of technical performance. Two widely separated incidents in 1968 and 1974 initiated a study of aspects of the laboratory environment. Water-baths, water of syneresis and portions of salmonella cultures spurting out of the sterilizing flame were examined. The water of water-baths was shown to be contaminated from the fluid cultures incubated in them. This raised questions of potential cross-contamination and reporting of false positives. Water of syneresis was sometimes contaminated with salmonellas. A few quantitative counts were made. The range of counts varied between 16 salmonellas per ml. and 13,000,000 salmonellas per ml. Five hundred portions of salmonella cultures and 571 portions of Shigella sonnei cultures which had spurted from the sterilizing flame were examined. All these samples failed to grow salmonellas or shigellas.

Precautions necessary to avoid environmental contamination are briefly discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 76 , Issue 1 , February 1976 , pp. 91 - 96
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

References

REFERENCES

Collins, C. H. (1974). Prevention of laboratory acquired infection. In Public Health Laboratory Service Monograph Series, no. 6, by Collins, C. H., Hartley, E. G. and Pilsworth, R.. London: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Harvey, R. W. S. (1956). Choice of a selective medium for the routine isolation of members of the salmonella group. Monthly Bulletin of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service 15, 118.Google ScholarPubMed
Harvey, R. W. S. & Price, T. H. (1975). Three studies in environmental contamination in a laboratory engaged in Salmonella isolation. Journal of Clinical Pathology (in the Press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howie, J. W. (1968). Typhoid in Aberdeen, 1964. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 31, 171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jamieson, J. E. (1966). Differentiation of salmonella strains by colonial morphology. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology 91, 141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joynson, D. H. M. (1975). Sterilization by steam: false-positive spore tests. Journal of the Association of Sterile Supply Administrators 4, 4.Google Scholar
McCullough, N. B. & Eisele, C. W. (1951 a). Experimental human salmonellosis, I. Pathogenicity of strains of Salmonella meleagridis and Salmonella anatum obtained from spraydried whole egg. Journal of Infectious Diseases 88, 278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCullough, N. B. & Eisele, C. W. (1951 b). Experimental human salmonellosis, III. Pathogenicity of strains of Salmonella newport, Salmonella derby and Salmonella bareilly obtained from spray-dried whole egg. Journal of Infectious Diseases 89, 209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miles, A. A. & Misra, S. S. (1938). The estimation of the bactericidal power of the blood. Journal of Hygiene 38, 732.Google ScholarPubMed
Sulkin, S. E. & Pike, R. M. (1951). Survey of laboratory-acquired infections. American Journal of Public Health 41, 769.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, W. E., Stephens, T. H., King, G. J. G. & Thomson, S. (1948). Enteric fever (Paratyphoid B) apparently spread by pasteurised milk. Lancet ii, 270.CrossRefGoogle Scholar