Patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis B virus associated with oral surgery.
We used molecular epidemiologic techniques to document patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) between 2 outpatient oral surgery patients operated on 161 min apart. Serological testing of 25 (93%) of 27 patients operated on after the source patient revealed that 19 (76%) of 25 were previously immune to HBV; no additional cases were identified. We found no deficiencies in infection control practices. Transmission may have been limited by the high prevalence (64%) of patients vaccinated against HBV. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of patient-to-patient transmission of a bloodborne pathogen in a dental setting in the United States.
Redd
John T
JT
Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. john.redd@ihs.gov
Baumbach
Joan
J
Kohn
William
W
Nainan
Omana
O
Khristova
Marina
M
Williams
Ian
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003813:Dentistry; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D017053:Infection Control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014611:Vaccination