title: Occupational hepatitis C virus infection in Italian health care workers. Italian Study Group on Occupational Risk of Bloodborne Infections.
abstract: The risk of exposed health care workers in 16 Italian hospitals becoming infected with hepatitis C virus was assessed through two serosurveys at a 1-year interval and at follow-up. Prevalence, which was 2.2%, was significantly associated with previous acute hepatitis, blood transfusions, housekeeping, and older age (> 46 years) but not with occupational risk factors. After 1 year, 2622 (87%) of the 3006 seronegative health care workers were retested, and 3 (0.1%), who did not acknowledge occupational or community risk factors, seroconverted. Additionally, 133 (97 needlesticks) out of 370 reported occupational exposures were to hepatitis C virus; one pricked nurse seroconverted (0.75%). Although the risk is not negligible, hepatitis C virus infection does not seem to be easily occupationally transmitted.
authors.affiliation: Centro di Riferimento AIDS, L. Spallanzani Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Puro
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Petrosillo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ippolito
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aloisi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boumis
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ravà
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000150:complications; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies