Yellow Fever Virus (YFV)
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Morphology | A member of the genus Flavivirus and Flaviviridae family. Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) is a spherical, enveloped virus of 40 to 50 nm in diameter, and has a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome. |
| Growth Conditions | HEK 293, HeLa, Huh-7.5, SW-13, and primary mouse fibroblast cell culture |
| Health Hazards | |
|---|---|
| Host Range | Humans, non-human primates, hedgehogs, and golden hamsters |
| Modes of Transmission | YFV is transmitted to humans from infected non-human primates and other humans by the bite of Aedes and Haemagogus mosquitoes |
| Signs and Symptoms | Most people will not have symptoms. Yellow fever illness with initial symptoms include fever, aches, extreme exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, and weak pulse. After 3-4 days symptoms subside. For 1 out of 7 people who have the initial symptoms, more severe disease can reappear as jaundice, blood in vomit and hemorrhagic symptoms. Severe yellow fever disease can be deadly. Once you have been infected, you are likely to be protected from future infections. |
| Infectious Dose | Unknown |
| Incubation Period | 3 to 6 days |
| Medical Precautions/Treatment | |
|---|---|
| Prophylaxis | To prevent YFV infection, the best prevention method is to protect against mosquito bites. Immunization is required legally for travelers visiting areas of endemicity or traveling from areas of endemicity into counties that are free of YFV |
| Vaccines | Licensed live attenuated vaccines (17D strain and French Dakar vaccine) are available |
| Treatment | There is no specific medicine to treat WNV. Treatment is supportive and symptomatic, however it may vary as infection is highly case-dependent. Seek medical attention if they become severe. |
| Surveillance | Monitor for symptoms. WNV infection can be confirmed by virus genome detection or virus isolation. |
| GWU Requirements | Report all incidents to the Office of Risk Management as well as the Office of Research Safety (ORS) IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE OCCURRENCE. |
| Containment | |
|---|---|
| BSL-3 | Risk Group 3 classification is applied to YFV. BSL-3 practices, containment equipment, and facilities are now recommended for all manipulations and diagnostic testing on specimens from patients with YFV. |
| ABSL-3 | For all procedures involving infected animals or arthropods and activities with high potential for aerosol production. |
| Spill Procedures | |
|---|---|
| Small Spills (<1 liter) | If the spill occurred inside a biological safety cabinet, close the sash and allow the cabinet to operate for 15 minutes before continuing with the spill cleanup.
While YFV exposure via aerosol transmission is unlikely, but caution should still be taken during a spill outside of a BSC. Leave the room immediately and allow the aerosols to dissipate for 15 minutes. Notify others working in the lab. Don appropriate PPE. Cover area of the spill with paper towels or any absorbent material and apply an EPA registered disinfectant effective against enveloped viruses (bleach, glutaraldehyde, and alcohol), working from the perimeter towards the center. Allow 30 minutes of contact time before disposal and cleanup of spill materials. |
| Large Spills | Alert lab personnel in the laboratory to the spill and keep people out of the area to prevent spread of the contamination. Check if you have been contaminated or if any of your PPE has been breached. If so follow exposure procedures. Remove any contaminated clothing and place it the biohazard waste. Wash your hands and post a sign on the door. Notify your supervisor of the incident and call ORS (4-8258) for assistance. If the situation involves an imminently life-threatening injury or has catastrophic potential, call 911. |
| Exposure Procedures | |
|---|---|
| Mucus Membrane | Flush eyes, mouth or nose for 15 minutes at eyewash station. |
| Other Exposure | Wash area with soap and water for 15 minutes. |
| Reporting | Report ALL injuries to the PI immediately and reported to the Office of Risk Management at [email protected] IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE OCCURRENCE. Exposures that involve a bloodborne-pathogen or recombinant DNA also need to be reported to the Office of Research Safety at [email protected]. If the injury requires immediate medical attention, call GWPD at 202-994-6111 or call 911. |
| Medical Monitoring | Seek immediate medical evaluation, treatment, and post exposure follow-up at the Employee Health Office at GWU Hospital (900 23rd St., NW, Suite G-1090, Phone: 202-715-4275). Students should go to the Students Health Office at Marvin Center. After hours treatment can be received at the GWU hospital emergency room. |
| Stability | |
|---|---|
| Disinfection | Susceptible to 10% bleach, 2% glutaraldehyde, 70% ethanol, 3-8% formaldehyde, 2- 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1% iodine, organic solvents and organic detergents. |
| Inactivation | Inactivated by heat (50 to 60°C for at least 30 minutes), ultraviolet light, and gamma irradiation |
| Survival Outside Host | No survival outside the host, but low temperatures preserve infectivity, with stability being greatest below -60°C |
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | |
|---|---|
| Minimum PPE Requirements | At minimum, personnel are required to don gloves, closed toed shoes, lab coat, and appropriate face and eye protection prior to working with YFV. Additional PPE may be required depending on lab specific SOPs. Since BSL-3 protection is often utilized, respiratory protection is a must |
| Additional Precautions | Additional protection may be worn over laboratory clothing when infectious materials are directly handled, such as solid-front gowns with tight fitting wrists and gloves. |
| References | |
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