Assessment of personal protective equipment used for facial mucocutaneous exposure protection in nonhuman primate areas.

Animal caretakers working in NHP areas must wear facial PPE to protect themselves from the zoonotic hazards related to splash exposures, but PPE that is uncomfortable may present its own risks. The authors evaluated the level of protection offered by several types of facial PPE against a variety of simulated facial mucocutaneous exposures of the sort that could occur during typical procedures in Old World NHP facilities and determined that less restrictive PPE can be used without compromising safety.