ORIGINAL PAPER
Biological agents intentionally used in Poland based on data from the National Register Of Biological Agents
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Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera / Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland (Zakład Zagrożeń Fizycznych / Department of Physical Hazards)
Online publication date: 2018-07-16
Corresponding author
Anna Kozajda
Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera,
Zakład Zagrożeń Fizycznych, ul. św. Teresy 8, 91-348 Łódź
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2018;69(4):413-24
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ABSTRACT
Background: Paper presents the intentional use of biological agents for industrial, diagnostic and research purposes in enterprises
in Poland. Material and Methods: The source of data is the National Register of Biological (in Polish KRCB) – the type of the database
that gathers data about the intentional use of biological agents at work in Poland. The analysis includes tabular summaries
of the data as of December 2017. Results: Notifications were sent by 598 enterprises for: diagnostic – 67.5%, research – 25% and
industrial purposes – 75%. Those mostly were hospital diagnostic laboratories – 36%, entities other than hospitals – 32% and higher
education and research units – 13%. In total, 4477 workers (91.3% women, 8.7% men) were exposed to biological agents. Agents
from 2nd and 3rd group of risk were used in 581 and 106 enterprises, respectively. Escherichia coli bacteria was most frequently used
(with the exception of non-pathogenic strains) in 504 enterprises (3529 exposed workers), Staphylococcus aureus – 495 enterprises
(3464 workers) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa – 459 enterprises (3157 workers). In 58 enterprises, biological agents recognized by
the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic were used (viruses: hepatitis B virus (HBV) – 10 enterprises and
257 workers, hepatitis C virus (HCV) – 10 enterprises and 232 workers, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) – 9 enterprises and 227 workers,
human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) – 8 enterprises and 186 workers, human papilloma virus (HPV) – 3 enterprises and
94 workers, human herpes virus type 8 (HHV-8) – 3 enterprises and 22 workers, human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) –
1 enterprise and 17 workers; parasites: Schistosoma haematobium – 2 enterprises and 4 workers, Clonorchis viverrini – 1 enterprises
and 2 workers, Clonorchis sinensis – 1 enterprises and 2 workers; bacteria: Helicobacter pylori – 10 enterprises and 137 workers). Conclusions: The network organization, legal base and central nature cause that the KRCB is a unique database that allows for diagnosis of the situation and tracking of dynamics in the context of occupational exposure to biological agents used intentionally
in enterprises in Poland. Med Pr 2018;69(4):413–424