Spread of vaccinia virus through shaving during military training, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX, June 2014

Although naturally occurring smallpox virus was officially declared eradicated in 1980, concern for biological warfare prompted the U.S. Government in 2002 to recommend smallpox vaccination for select individuals. Vaccinia, the smallpox vaccine virus, is administered into the skin, typically on the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:MSMR (U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Executive Communications Division) Executive Communications Division), 2014-08, Vol.21 (8), p.2-6
Main Authors: Webber, Bryant J, Montgomery, Jay R, Markelz, Ana E, Allen, Kahtonna C, Hunninghake, John C, Ritchie, Simon A, Pawlak, Mary T, Johnston, Lindsay A, Oliver, Tiffany A, Winterton, Brad S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Disease Transmission, Infectious - prevention & control
Humans
Male
Military Personnel
Smallpox Vaccine - administration & dosage
Smallpox Vaccine - adverse effects
Treatment Outcome
United States
Vaccination - adverse effects
Vaccination - methods
Vaccinia - diagnosis
Vaccinia - etiology
Vaccinia - physiopathology
Vaccinia - prevention & control
Vaccinia - transmission
Vaccinia virus - pathogenicity
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Summary:Although naturally occurring smallpox virus was officially declared eradicated in 1980, concern for biological warfare prompted the U.S. Government in 2002 to recommend smallpox vaccination for select individuals. Vaccinia, the smallpox vaccine virus, is administered into the skin, typically on the upper arm, where the virus remains viable and infectious until the scab falls off and the epidermis is fully intact - typically 2-4 weeks. Adverse events following smallpox vaccination may occur in the vaccinee, in individuals who have contact with the vaccinee (i.e., secondary transmission), or in individuals who have contact with the vaccinee's contact (i.e., tertiary transmission). In June 2014 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX, two cases of inadvertent inoculation of vaccinia and one case of a non-viral reaction following vaccination occurred in the security forces training squadron. This includes the first reported case of shaving as the likely source of autoinoculation after contact transmission. This paper describes the diagnosis and treatment of these cases, the outbreak investigation, and steps taken to prevent future transmission.
ISSN:2152-8217