title: Prevalence and epidemiology of blood borne pathogens in health care workers of Rawalpindi/Islamabad.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To attempt to trace the molecular epidemiology of blood-borne diseases in the hospital community of Pakistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional study was conducted at three major hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad from January to May, 2014.The prevalence of three blood-borne pathogens hepatitis B and C as well as human immunodeficiency virus was investigated in hospital workers of different occupations. Initial screening was performed with immuno-chromatographic technique followed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay. Positive samples were subjected to real time polymerase chain reaction amplification of specific viral sequences for amplification with universal as well as genotype-specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of total 500 subjects, there were 42(8.4%) doctors, 101(20.2%) nurses, 92(18.4%) technicians, 67(13.4%) ward boys, 41(8.2%) sweepers, 36(7.2%) security guards and 122(24.4%) administrative workers. None was positive for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus after initial screening with immuno-chromatographic technique. In case of hepatitis viruses, 9(0.18%) samples were positive for anti-hepatitis C virus and 3(0.6%) for hepatitis B surface antigen. Three (2.97%) nurses and 3(3.29%) lab technicians were at the highest risk of exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human immunodeficiency virus was not present among the healthcare workers, while the prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses was far less compared to the general population.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shahab
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saqib
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Zuhaib
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Biotech Labs and Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sayed Irtiza
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Hussain Shah Gardyzi
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Javaria
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qazi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Healthcare workers, HCWs, Risk factors, ICT, ELISA, Real time PCR.