title: Risk of infection and tracking of work-related infectious diseases in the funeral industry.
abstract: This review demonstrates that funeral service professionals (FSPs) have a risk of exposure to bacterial and viral pathogens as well as to prion-mediated diseases. It reveals a lack of published studies focusing on the implementation and effectiveness of infection control policies for this occupational group as well as the difficulty involved in determining actual infection rates related to workplace exposure events. Possible reasons for this lack of data include the categorization of these workers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Standard Occupational Classification System as service providers rather than health care professionals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35244, USA.
authors.forename: Susan Salter
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Benjamin
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D002423:Cause of Death; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D009027:Mortuary Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016272:Occupational Health; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D017132:Workplace