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Yerkes 'family' pulled together after death of young researcher fromrare Herpes B infection The Emory community was stunned to hear of the death of Yerkes CenterResearch Assistant Beth Griffin Dec. 10 due to complications from the HerpesB virus. But well before this tragic story broke in local news outlets,colleagues at Yerkes learned about her struggle with the rare disease andreceived frequent updates about her status, said Kate Egan, Yerkes publicrelations director. (The University attempted to withhold Griffin's nameand other personal details at the request of her family, but both were widelypublicized in television and newspaper accounts.) In late December, another Yerkes employee was hospitalized for monitoringand testing for the Herpes B infection. Physicians found no evidence ofinfection; she was released returned to work. As a precaution, doctors willcontinue to evaluate her over the next several months. What has happened at Yerkes since Griffin's death? Colleagues have beendevastated by the illness and death of their friend and co-worker. She wasreleased and returned to work. "This was the most profoundly sad moment of my Yerkes career of27 years," Associate Director for Scientific Programs Tom Gordon saidat a press conference held shortly after her death. He added that Yerkeshas never before experienced a work-related death or even an injury beyondthe occasional bites and scratches. "The illness [was] an agonizing experience for family, friends andco-workers, but most of all for [Griffin] who experienced periods of improvementfollowed by stunning reversals and deterioration," Director Tom Inselwrote to his staff. "It is especially tragic and difficult to acceptthis death despite the intense, dedicated and skillful medical care providedaround the clock. Rare disease, unusual circumstances Since the Herpes B virus was first discovered in humans some 65 years ago,the focus has been on avoiding scratches and bites. This is the first reportedcase in which the virus was assumed to have been transmitted through theeye and after such a limited exposure. The infection appears to have resulted from a minor fluid exposure toGriffin's eye while helping move a caged rhesus monkey. At the time, sheconsidered this exposure inconsequential and did not report it. She recalledit later when conjunctivitis developed in the eye that had been splashed. According to Carl Perlino, Griffin's doctor and an infectious diseasespecialist, she was treated with antiviral therapy, appeared to improveand was released. Her treatment continued on an outpatient basis, then shewas readmitted with more severe symptoms. Six weeks after the iitial exposure,she died. The Herpes B virus occurs naturally in rhesus and other macaque monkeys,the most common non-human primates used in research. The animals were notexperimentally infected, rather Herpes B occurs naturally in them. Greatapes and other types of primates besides macaques-including all the animalslent by Yerkes to the Atlanta Zoo-don't carry Herpes B. While common in adult macaque monkeys, infection with the Herpes B virusis extraordinarily rare in humans. Approximately 40 cases have been reportedworldwide since 1933 (none in Georgia). The virus is not airborne. The vastmajority of human cases were the result of bites or scratches to researchersor those involved with animal care. But even that's a measure of how uncommonhuman infection is, since macaque monkeys inflict literally thousands ofbites and scratches on humans each year. "We have put forth every effort to investigate what happened inthis instance and to consider how we might handle things differently inthe future given what we now know," Gordon said. Emory administratorshave asked for and are receiving help from outside organizations. When HerpesB was first suspected, Perlino called an expert at the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention as well as clinicians who had treated some of themore recent cases nationwide. Yerkes officers began notifying government and other agencies concernedwith animals. Soon after Griffin's death, a team arrived from the Occupationaland Safety Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency assigned tohelp with guidelines for worker safety. The agency's presence is routineany time a work-related death or serious injury takes place. Yerkes instructs its employees regarding the risks of Herpes B in trainingand orientation sessions. But while the center further reviews precautions,employees have been given eye protection for use at all times, includingthose situations previously viewed as low risk, and all employees who workwith animals have received a medical alert card with information on theHerpes B virus and relevant phone numbers. Protesters use incident for publicity In an unfortunate coincidence of timing, animal rights protesters were oncampus the week before Griffin died. After her death, protesters used theoccasion as an opportunity to criticize Yerkes. The University issued the following statement: "This heroic youngwoman chose to work with animals at a research institution committed tofinding answers to benefit mankind. We are dismayed that her death shouldbe used by protesters for their own, very different agenda. We do not believethis display is fair to her grieving family, and it insults her Yerkes colleagueswhose work she shared and who are in anguish over her loss." A campuswide memorial service for Griffin was held Thursday, Dec. 11in Cannon Chapel. Yerkes has been looking at ways to honor this young woman.During the holidays, employees at the field station where she worked donated"Toys for Tots" in her honor and asked that administrative fundsordinarily used for a holiday party be used instead to honor their colleague.Insel is considering adding these funds to others to create a summer studentfellowship in her name that would benefit other young researchers. -Sylvia Wrobel Returnto January 12, 1998 Contents Page