A recent worldwide study has discovered that there have been several hundreds of laboratory-related infections over the past two decades, and over a dozen cases of pathogens escaping from facilities.
The peer-reviewed study, published in The Lancet Microbe on Dec. 12, analyzed several journals and media reports published between 2000 and 2021 to identify incidences of laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) and accidental pathogen escape from laboratory settings (APELS). Out of the 94 reports analyzed, researchers identified 309 LAIs caused by 51 pathogens and 16 incidences of APELS. The findings related to LAIs were as follows:
- Out of the 309 LAI cases, the United States accounted for 238, followed by Europe with 28, and Asia with 23 incidents.
- Close to 40 percent of LAI cases occurred in an academic setting, around 25 percent in unspecified locations, and nearly 20 percent in research facilities. Over 7 percent were attributed to vaccine facilities.
- In terms of pathogens, bacteria were the leading cause of LAIs, making up 77 percent of all cases, followed by viruses at 13.9 percent.
- The leading cause of LAIs was found to be procedural errors, which accounted for close to 70 percent of incidents. Other reasons included needlestick injuries, spills, splashes, broken vials, and animal bites.
