A strain of meningococcal disease which nearly killed a visiting scientist in 2005 is likely to have resulted from her work at an Environmental Science and Research (ESR) lab, a new investigation has found.
The scientist, Jeannette Adu-Bobie, worked at the lab in Porirua for three weeks researching meningococcal disease before being admitted to hospital with neisseria meningitidis in March 2005.
She almost died and doctors had to amputate both her legs, an arm and some fingers on her remaining hand.
But Dr Adu-Bobie, who returned to England, later raised concerns about work practices at the lab and was stunned to find a Labour Department investigation concluded it was "extremely unlikely" the disease was picked up at the lab.
ESR said at the time it was a "tragic coincidence".
But the Labour Department revealed yesterday it was now of the opinion Dr Adu-Bobie probably contracted the disease from the laboratory in the course of her work.
The department said it had apologised following a new investigation by its chief adviser occupational health, Geraint Emrys.
Dr Emrys said that, like the original investigators, he was unable to identify exactly how Dr Adu-Bobie was infected or find any faults with ESR's safety systems that could have led to the infection.
"ESR's safety systems conform to international best practice and no failure of these systems has been identified," he said.
However, there was no compelling evidence to suggest she was infected anywhere else.
"Given the circumstances, it is my opinion as an occupational health specialist, that on the balance of probabilities, Dr Adu-Bobie was infected at the laboratory. The cause of this infection remains unknown."
Labour Department regional manager Mike Munnelly said he had apologised for the distress caused by the original investigation.
"We acknowledge the ordeal that this has been for Dr Adu-Bobie, and appreciate that she wishes to ensure no other scientists suffer as she has."
Dr Emrys said new research on lab-acquired infections and the handling of neisseria meningitidis had concluded safety standards here were consistent with international recommendations, and there was no clear or urgent need for change.
"That view has not changed," Dr Emrys said.
The wider review on the issue confirmed the original investigation findings that the strain of the organism that infected Dr Adu-Bobie was indistinguishable from the one she worked with in the laboratory and the epidemic strain present in New Zealand.
But it provided new information that four of the five cases reported in Wellington around the same time Dr Adu-Bobie fell ill involved a different strain of the disease.
The fifth case was a similar strain but couldn't be confirmed as the same one that infected Dr Adu-Bobie.
Dr Adu-Bobie questioned the risks presented by testing procedures once she had recovered from her ordeal .
Dr Emrys said that variances from the safety procedures reported by Dr Adu-Bobie could either not be confirmed or assessed as to their potential to increase risk of infection.
Deviation from acceptable international practice would increase the risk of infection, he said.
Despite being unable to identify the cause of the infection, Dr Emrys' advice was that there were no grounds for the department to revisit the case.
