Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 1

INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN WASTE

MANAGEMENTTartu

10.3.-11.3.2004

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 2

WASTE

infectious waste from hospitals etc sharps waste solid community waste

– collecting– dumping ground– treatment

waste-water treatment

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 3

GENERAL ASPECTS

microbes found depend on the processes

exposure to a certain microbe in waste-water depend on the prevalence of that disease

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 4

INFECTIOUS WASTE cultures human or animal pathological

waste contaminated material sharps free flowing waste

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 5

LIMITING THE HAZARDS OF INFECTIOUS WASTE

policy– written– approved– based on present knowledge

guidelines– written and simple instructions

training

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 6

SOLID COMMUNITY WASTE

proper handling of waste (sharps) at home

good containers, easy to collect no-touch handling of the waste personal hygiene (smoking, eating,

drinking, clothing) at the dump site; preventing the dust tetanus vaccination

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 7

WASTE-WATER TREATMENT PLANTS

waste-water contains many pathogenic microbes, which are common in that particular community:– hepatitis A– hepatitis C– Salmonella spp– intestinal parasites

waste-water treatment plant workers report more gastrointestinal tract symptoms than controls

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 8

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF WASTE-WATER TREATMENT PLANT

WORKERS

waste-water treatment plant workers seem to have more hepatitis A – depends on the task

they do not experience any increased risk of clinical disease

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 9

WASTE-WATER TREATMENT AND SALMONELLA

Salmonella spp can be found in waste-water

in our study they waste-water treatment plant workers had less antibodies against salmonella than blood donors and reported less salmonellosis than food processing plant workers

could salmonella exposure by inhalation prevent gastrointestinal salmonellosis?

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 10

WASTE-WATER TREATMENT PLANT GI-SYMPTOMS

in several studies more gi-symptoms

– habitual stomach pain– loose or watery stools– varying bowel habits

cause is probably some virus more among the young workers (?) not related to any later disease

Markku Seuri, FIOH, 2004 11

SIMPLE PRINCIPLES FOR WASTE WORK

avoid cuts avoid dust, do not let the waste dry use protective proper protective device in some cases exclusion of some workers

may be considered:– immunocompromised– workers with asthma– workers with allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis – dermatitis

remember tetanus vaccination