Environmental Sampling for Bacillus anthracis

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Environmental Sampling for Bacillus anthracis

• POC Vickie R. Hawkins, MSES
• Directorate of Occupational Health Sciences,
  Industrial Hygiene Field Services Program, DSN
  584-3118

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Surface Sampling Equipment

• Sterile pipettes
• Rayon or Dacron? swabs
• Water, Saline, or
• PBS with 0.3 Tween
• 15 ml conical vials

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Surface Sampling Equipment

• Para film or cellulose tape
• Absorbent material to wrap sample vial
• Whirl-Pak? or Ziploc? bag
• Decon solution and cloth

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Where to Sample?

• Determine entire mail flow process
• Identify any potential source of disturbance
• Sample in close proximity to mail sorting areas
• Move from suspected clean to most suspected
  contaminated area

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What to Sample?

• Horizontal non-porous surfaces
• Mechanical mail strapping or bulk mail handling
  machines
• Room HVAC surface vents (supply and return
  vents)
• Mail distribution boxes
• Mail crates, boxes, bags, sorting areas

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Sampling Team

• Recorder
• Sampling Assistant (Supply Holder)
• Surface Swab Sampler

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Environmental Lab Procedures

• Submit completed sampling information and chain
  of custody form to appropriate lab
• Submit them IAW Federal Transportation
  regulations
• Submit blind sample blank per sampling
  occurrence

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Environmental Lab POCs

• State Health Department
• Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Ted
  Hadfield, PhD, 202.782.1863 or 1860
• USAMRIID, COL Erik Henchal, 301-619-4727