Sharing medical equipment can spread hepatitis B

[okarol]

09 April 2009 01:01 BST
Sharing medical equipment can spread hepatitis B
Thursday, 09 Apr 2009 00:01

Sharing equipment can lead to outbreaks of the potentially fatal hepatitis B virus in routine practices previously thought to be risk-free.

Research published in BMC Medicine showed that hepatitis B, a main cause of liver disease in developed countries, could be transferred by shared dialysis units and blood sampling using non-disposable devices.

Researchers analysed 33 hepatitis outbreaks occurring between 1992 and 2007, involving 471 patients and 16 fatal cases, and found that dialysis units accounted for the highest number of outbreaks, ten out of 33.

Analysis of the outbreaks, 16 of which were from EU countries and the remaining 17 from the USA, showed that several breaches in infection control measures were responsible for the transmission.

According to Simone Lanini, who led the team of researchers, hepatitis B has been recognised as one of the most insidious viral agents within healthcare settings.

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/health/sharing-medical-equipment-can-spread-hepatitis-b-$1286610.htm

[Zach]

And then there is Hep C.