A Comprehensive Laboratory Animal Facility Pandemic Response Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Vol 49, No 5 Copyright 2010 September 2010 by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Pages 623–632 A Comprehensive Laboratory Animal Facility Pandemic Response Plan Gordon S Roble,1,2,* Naomi M Lingenhol,3 Bryan Baker,3 Amy Wilkerson,4 and Ravi J Tolwani1,3 The potential of a severe influenza pandemic necessitates the development of an organized, rational plan for continued laboratory animal facility operation without compromise of the welfare of animals. A comprehensive laboratory animal program pandemic response plan was integrated into a university-wide plan. Preparation involved input from all levels of organizational hierarchy including the IACUC. Many contingencies and operational scenarios were considered based on the severity and duration of the influenza pandemic. Trigger points for systematic action steps were based on the World Health Organization’s phase alert criteria. One extreme scenario requires hibernation of research operations and maintenance of reduced numbers of laboratory animal colonies for a period of up to 6 mo. This plan includes active recruitment and cross- training of volunteers for essential personnel positions, protective measures for employee and family health, logistical arrangements for delivery and storage of food and bedding, the removal of waste, and the potential for euthanasia. Strate- gies such as encouraging and subsidizing cryopreservation of unique strains were undertaken to protect valuable research assets and intellectual property. Elements of this plan were put into practice after escalation of the pandemic alerts due to influenza A (H1N1) in April 2009. Abbreviations: RUCBC, The Rockefeller University Comparative Bioscience Center; WHO, World Health Organization. The recent onset of a worldwide influenza A H1N1 outbreak, this time due to a novel triple reassortment among human, as well as the potential for an influenza A H5N1 pandemic, avian, swine influenza viruses.19 brings to bear the possible exposure of latent weaknesses in Influenza A is the only member of theOrthomyxoviridae family traditional disaster plans of animal research facilities. Many of viruses that can infect birds, humans, and other mammals. disaster plans focus on abrupt, local disasters such as fire, Wild waterfowl serve as reservoirs for this single-stranded, earthquake, and severe storms. Although these events cause negative-sense RNA virus. Two surface antigens determine the structural damage and harm to human and animal life, they subtype specificity of influenza A. Hemagglutinin (HA or H) is a typically disrupt normal operations for a relatively short period viral envelope glycoprotein that binds to sialic acid receptors on of time. By contrast, a severe influenza pandemic could disrupt the host cell surface, permitting fusion of viral and endosomal operations for many months. Although the word ‘pandemic’ membranes and release of virion particles into the cytoplasm. invokes images of severe worldwide disease and possibly Hemagglutinin has the capability to continually mutate to avoid panic within the general population, the adjective ‘pandemic’ recognition by the host’s immune system.6 Neuraminidase indicates spread of disease and does not necessarily correlate (NA or N) allows newly formed virions to bud off from the with severity of disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) surface of the host cell. Reassortment of viral genomes between classifies a disease outbreak as a pandemic when sustained species-specific influenza strains creates new substrains with human-to-human spread of disease is present in countries of increased host range and potential pathogenicity.19 The lack at least 2 of the 6 WHO geographic regions.38 of previous immunologic exposure to a new substrain allows Many experts have posited a modern-day influenza pan- disease to freely spread within the human population, leading demic inevitable.11 Most suspected it would be from the H5N1 to pandemic illness. influenza strain rather than other subtypes such as the H1N1 Largely as a result of the anticipation of epidemics of H5N1 ‘swine flu’ of 2009.11 This assumption reflected the temporal influenza or severe acute respiratory syndrome, pandemic readi- spacing of previous pandemics.16 Three major pandemics oc- ness planning by governmental agencies and public and private curred during the 20th century; the most severe (commonly employers increased greatly during the last 10 y. Given that an known as the ‘Spanish flu’) happened in 1918 to 1919. This estimated 25% of all disease transmissions are believed to occur catastrophic illness arrived in 3 waves over an 18-mo period in the workplace, most national and local health organizations and killed upward of 100 million people worldwide.16 The (including the United States Department of Health and Human 1918 virus was an influenza A H1N1 subtype that arose Services and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through avian–human viral reassortment. In comparison, and the WHO) and local and state authorities such as the New the pandemic of 2009 resulted from another H1N1 subtype, York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have strongly urged employers to develop pandemic response plans that define and maintain essential functions during periods Received: 04 Dec 2009. Revision requested: 06 Jan 2010. Accepted: 28 Jan 2010. with high absentee rates.17,37 These sources provide workplace 1Tri-Institutional Training Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine and Science, 2Me- guidelines for the protection of human life, protection of assets, morial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University and the Weill Cornell Medical College, 3Comparative Bioscience Center, and 4Research Support, The Rockefeller and return to normal function. These recommendations assist University, New York, New York. animal facilities with disaster planning; however, they do not *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] 623 Vol 49, No 5 Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science September 2010 provide guidance for the welfare of laboratory animals during dent’s office to an incident commander at an external agency, a pandemic event. The current pandemic of influenza A H1N1 in accordance with the overarching University disaster plan. In emphasizes the need for rational consideration when formulat- addition, a separate management hierarchy delineating essential ing and initiating an action plan. roles has been established for the RUCBC (Figure 2). To meet this challenge, The Rockefeller University Com- We also identified support structures (including housing, parative Bioscience Center (RUCBC) established an Operations transportation, and healthcare) that the University can provide Continuity Plan to outline essential services of the animal to keep essential employees onsite. Plans for facilitating an research department and developed the means to maintain extended shutdown include increasing the ability of the infor- these services in the event of a severe pandemic, most likely mation technology infrastructure to perform remote functions due to influenza. The plan modeled multiple contingencies efficiently. Plant operations personnel have been identified to based on the varying severities and durations of present and maintain and repair hardware, machinery, and systems that historic pandemics. Here we describe our 6-phase response to must remain active, even during a pandemic. a scenario during which the appearance of disease results in We also evaluated our financial and procurement procedures persistent disruption of normal work patterns for 6 mo or longer. to ensure that key financial actions (for example, running Because the early influenza 2009 outbreak was characterized payroll, paying vendors) can be conducted. The University by moderate morbidity and low mortality, full activation of a has had an emergency planning and response budget in place pandemic response plan within our facility would have been for several years. This provision has allowed planning and premature. However, we did implement limited aspects of preparation of the pandemic plan. During a severe pandemic, the Operation Continuity Plan. This effort provided valuable per diem recovery costs will cease. The Rockefeller University experience for future pandemic responses to a potentially more has anticipated the need to dramatically modify and reallocate debilitating disease. funds to cover necessary operations and commitments during an actual pandemic. Case Study Overall, the University’s primary goals during an influenza Developing an operations plan: institutional planning team. pandemic will be to 1) protect the health and safety of the Uni- After hazard analysis of pandemic flu, The Rockefeller Univer- versity community; 2) preserve and protect University resources sity established a pandemic plan working committee in 2006. and assets; 3) communicate rapidly, accurately, and frequently This committee evaluated what, in addition to the already with members of the University community; and 4) work with well-established policies and procedures outlined in the Uni- appropriate government agencies and organizations in support versity Disaster Plan, the University should do to prepare for, of and in response to their actions and efforts. respond to, and recover after a pandemic. The working com- Laboratory animal facility planning team. Animal welfare must mittee included department and resource center representatives