Alert and response to the Ebola Virus Disease epidemic

3. Biosafety in case of suspected Ebola

3.8 Contamination with biological agents

3.8.1 Oral route

The main cause of contamination through the oral route is by pipetting with the mouth. Though pipetting with the mouth is currently strictly forbidden, the oral transmission route has not completely disappeared:

contamination happens through splashes, cigarette smoking, eating in the laboratory, biting one’s nails and faulty hygiene (lack of gloves or forgetting to wash hands, wearing a soiled lab coat outside of the lab, in particular during breaks).