Neisseria Exposure in a Classroom Laboratory—Utah, 2025
- Presentation Day/Time: Wednesday, April 22, 9:05 AM
- Presenter: Anna Jones, MD, MPH, Utah Department of Health and Human Services
The Issue
- On October 2, 2025, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) received notification of a potential mass exposure to N. meningitidis in a university classroom microbiology laboratory. Students identified an unknown bacterium as N. meningitidis and the university confirmed that the microbiology stockroom contained N. meningitidis, making such exposure possible.
What We Did
- Health officials sought to rapidly coordinate response, test samples, evaluate risk among exposed persons, and provide public health recommendations. Thirty-three exposed persons were identified and 32 received antibiotic postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). Two symptomatic persons received a medical evaluation, including lumbar puncture.
What We Found
- Further testing revealed that the samples were N. sicca, not N. meningitidis. Investigation of the stockroom found mixing of biosafety level (BSL)-1 and BSL-2 in freezer boxes, limited oversight of stockroom employees, and inadequate documentation of sample chain of custody.
What This Means
- Although no one was exposed to N. meningitidis, potentially exposed persons experienced unnecessary healthcare interventions. This highlights the importance of laboratory and stockroom safety procedures, including separation and careful documentation of BSL-1 and BSL-2 stocks to prevent inadvertent contamination or use.
