Prevalence of GBV-C infection among dental personnel.
Healthcare workers who carry out exposure-prone procedures are theoretically at increased risk of acquiring blood-borne virus infections. GB virus C (GBV-C) is a recently described blood-borne virus that is related distantly to hepatitis C virus. The occupational risk of GBV-C infection to healthcare workers is unknown. This study collected detailed occupational and personal risk data in parallel with a blood specimen, to establish the prevalence and determinants of GBV-C infection among dental healthcare workers. The presence of GBV-C antibodies was detected using commercially available ELISA; GBV-C RNA was detected by nested PCR using primers from the conserved 5' noncoding region. The overall prevalence of GBV-C antibodies among the study population was 11.1% (98/880, 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.1-13.4%) and 4.6% were positive for GBV-C RNA (46/879, 95% CI, 2.5-5.1%), resulting in a cumulative prevalence of 15.7%. These figures are similar to those described in other populations. There was no significant difference in lifetime exposure to GBV-C between dentists (17.7%) and dental nurses/hygienists (14.3%). Significantly more dental nurses/hygienists aged 16-30 years had been exposed to GBV-C compared to dentists of the same age (chi(2) = 13.75; P < 0.001). Conversely, significantly more dentists 46 years or older had evidence of exposure to GBV-C compared to dental nurses/hygienists (chi(2) = 6.79; P = 0.009). The high prevalence of GBV-C infection did not seem to be related to past parenteral exposure, and the data suggest that sexual transmission, rather than occupational transmission, was a more important route for GBV-C infection among this population.
Roy
Kirsty M
KM
Blood-borne Virus Section, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, Glasgow, Scotland. Kirsty.Roy@scieh.csa.scot.nhs.uk
Bagg
Jeremy
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Kennedy
Catherine
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Cameron
Sheila
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Simmonds
Peter
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Lycett
Carol
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Hunter
Iain
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Taylor
Margie
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D003625:Data Collection; D003797:Dental Staff; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D029407:GB virus C / Q000276:immunology; D006282:Health Personnel; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000914:Antibodies, Viral