title: An archived serum sample as a clue for identifying the primary source of a nosocomial hepatitis C virus outbreak in a haemodialysis unit.
abstract: Due to an unexpected technical error, patients at a dialysis unit who were seronegative for hepatitis C virus (HCV) were temporarily transferred to another dialysis unit next to a ward reserved for HCV-seropositive patients. In the following 7 months, 17 patients were diagnosed as anti-HCV positive. The aim of the study was to reveal the cause of this nosocomial infection. Anti-HCV-positive sera were further tested by molecular methods. Data collection and on-site epidemiologic inspections were carried out. The source of the nosocomial infection proved to be a seropositive patient treated at the unit, who died before the outbreak was recognized. The exact date of the infection was determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, ÁNTSZ Regional Institute of State Public Health Service, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szücs
authors.forename: Ágnes
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Dencs
authors.forename: Edit
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: Beáta Ballérné
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Balajcza
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Botond
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Csiky
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sándor
authors.forename: Mária
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takács
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D044967:Serum / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral