Occupational Aspects of Hepatitis
William L. Irving
Department of Microbiology, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
Search for more papers by this authorFortune Ncube
HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Department, Public Health England, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorWilliam L. Irving
Department of Microbiology, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
Search for more papers by this authorFortune Ncube
HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections Department, Public Health England, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorHoward C. Thomas BSc, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorAnna S.F. Lok MD
Alice Lohrman Andrews Research Professor in Hepatology, Director of Clinical Hepatology, Professor of Internal Medicine, Associate Chair for Clinical Research, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Search for more papers by this authorStephen A. Locarnini MBBS, BSc(Hons), PhD, FRCPath
Head, Research & Molecular Development, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorArie J. Zuckerman MD, DSc, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Medical Microbiology, Formerly Principal and Dean, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine
Search for more papers by this authorSummary
The most important occupational aspects of viral hepatitis relate to the potential transmission of the bloodborne members of the group – hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) – from patients to healthcare workers and from healthcare workers to patients. For both of these viruses, and for both directions of transmission, this chapter presents the evidence that such transmissions occur, the possible routes of transmission, the magnitude of the transmission risks, and the policies designed to protect healthcare workers from infected patients and to protect patients from infected healthcare workers.
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