title: Notes from the field: deaths from acute hepatitis B virus infection associated with assisted blood glucose monitoring in an assisted-living facility--North Carolina, August-October 2010.
abstract: Sharing of blood glucose monitoring equipment in assisted-living facilities has resulted in at least 16 outbreaks of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the United States since 2004. On October 12, 2010, the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) and the Wayne County Health Department were notified by a local hospital of four residents of a single assisted-living facility with suspected acute HBV infection. NCDPH requested HBV testing of all persons who had resided in the facility during January 1-October 13, 2010, and defined an outbreak-associated case as either 1) positive hepatitis B surface antigen and core immunoglobulin M (IgM) results or 2) clinical evidence of acute hepatitis (jaundice or serum aminotransferase levels twice the upper limit of normal) with onset ≥6 weeks after admission to the facility. Records were reviewed for potential health-care-associated exposures and HBV-related risk factors. Infection control practices were assessed through observations and interviews with facility staff.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000401:mortality* / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D009657:North Carolina
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose