Infection Risk From Humans and Animals in the Anatomy Laboratory: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Whole-body dissection is a cornerstone of anatomy education. During and following the COVID-19 pandemic, exposure to infectious agents and other risks of dissection were highlighted. To identify potential risks, one must have the data outlining these risks in specific situations. However, information regarding the risks of encountering an infectious pathogen in donors is not readily available for educators and anatomical programs and there are presently no universal guidelines for lowering the risk of exposure to such pathogens. Therefore, this scoping review aims to provide information regarding infectious pathogens that one may encounter in the anatomy lab when engaging in dissection of both humans and animals, including zoonoses (e.g., rabies), blood-borne pathogens (e.g., HIV, HPV), and pathogens that pose a relatively less serious risk to the health of dissectors (e.g., fungal infections). A systematic and comprehensive search across PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and ERIC databases without date restrictions was performed. When data were available, the prevalence of these pathogens within the worldwide population, viability in cadavers and the surrounding laboratory environment, and effects of formaldehyde fixation on pathogen infectivity are provided. This review also provides examples of mitigation methods and their effectiveness in reducing the risk of exposure to pathogens in the anatomy laboratory as published in the literature. A summary of potential toxicological hazards encountered in the lab is also included. Overall, this scoping review charts existing literature to provide information that anatomy programs worldwide can utilize to identify potential risks and identify mitigation methods to reduce such risks while dissecting.