Introduction Professionals who handle rodents in the field and in the laboratory are at risk of infection by the microorganisms harbored by these animals. Methods Serum samples from professionals involved in rodent and Yersinia pestis handling in field or laboratory work were analyzed to determine hantavirus and plague seroprevalence and to establish a relationship between these activities and reports of illnesses. Results Two individuals had antibodies against hantavirus, and two harbored antibodies against the plague; none of the individuals had experienced an illness related to their duties. Conclusions These results confirm the risks of hantavirus- and plague-related field and laboratory activities and the importance of protective measures for such work.

O presente trabalho faz uma reflexão sobre a construção do campo da Biossegurança, apresenta sua abrangência, os complexos temas tratados e sua perspectiva interdisciplinar. O objetivo desse campo é propor ações capazes de prevenir e controlar riscos de agravos à saúde ambiental e humana, respondendo aos desafios teóricos e práticos impostos pelas constantes mudanças no mundo, decorrentes das intervenções humanas sobre a natureza, mediadas pelos avanços científicos e tecnológicos. São abordadas questões que inserem a Biossegurança como ferramenta na busca de um modelo de desenvolvimento sustentável, resgatando a relação entre degradação ambiental, condições precárias de saúde e controle do surgimento e ressurgimento de doenças nas populações.

This work reflects on the development of the field of Biosafety. The scope of this field is presented, as well as its complex themes and its interdisciplinary perspective. The scope of this field is to propose actions capable of preventing and controlling the risk of worsening human and environmental health. This is done in order to provide alternatives to the theoretical and practical challenges posed by the rapid changes in the world, resulting from human intervention in nature and mediated by scientific and technological advances. We address questions that place Biosafety as a tool in the search for a model of sustainable development, establishing the relationship between environmental degradation, precarious health conditions, and control of the emergence and reemergence of diseases in populations.

O presente trabalho faz uma reflexão sobre a construção do campo da Biossegurança, apresenta sua abrangência, os complexos temas tratados e sua perspectiva interdisciplinar. O objetivo desse campo é propor ações capazes de prevenir e controlar riscos de agravos à saúde ambiental e humana, respondendo aos desafios teóricos e práticos impostos pelas constantes mudanças no mundo, decorrentes das intervenções humanas sobre a natureza, mediadas pelos avanços científicos e tecnológicos. São abordadas questões que inserem a Biossegurança como ferramenta na busca de um modelo de desenvolvimento sustentável, resgatando a relação entre degradação ambiental, condições precárias de saúde e controle do surgimento e ressurgimento de doenças nas populações.

This work reflects on the development of the field of Biosafety. The scope of this field is presented, as well as its complex themes and its interdisciplinary perspective. The scope of this field is to propose actions capable of preventing and controlling the risk of worsening human and environmental health. This is done in order to provide alternatives to the theoretical and practical challenges posed by the rapid changes in the world, resulting from human intervention in nature and mediated by scientific and technological advances. We address questions that place Biosafety as a tool in the search for a model of sustainable development, establishing the relationship between environmental degradation, precarious health conditions, and control of the emergence and reemergence of diseases in populations.