remains, and using bathrooms. Don’t share razors, toothbrushes or pierced earrings with anyone. Exposure to hepatitis B If you have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B but are exposed to the virus, your health professional can treat you with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG), combined with the hepatitis B vaccination. Don’t delay - get immunized and vaccinated as soon as possible after exposure. Preventing the spread of hepatitis B ● Don’t engage in sexual contact without a condom. ● Don’t donate blood. Bandage all cuts and open sores. ● Don’t share anything that could be contaminated with your blood, semen, vaginal secretions or saliva - such as needles, razors or toothbrushes. ● Wash your hands well after using the toilet or handling human remains. ● If you have hepatitis B and you’re pregnant, your baby must be immunized at birth. All pregnant women should be screened for hepatitis B. ● Hepatitis B vaccinations As previously discussed, employees who have routine exposure to bloodborne pathogens (such as doctors, nurses, embalmers, first aid responders, etc.) shall be offered the hepatitis B vaccine series at no cost to themselves unless: ● They have previously received the vaccine series. ● Antibody testing has revealed they are immune. ● The vaccine is contraindicated for medical reasons. Although your employer must offer the vaccine, you do not have to accept that offer. You may opt to decline the vaccinations series, in which case you will be asked to sign a declination form. Even if you decline the initial offer, you may choose to receive the series at anytime during your employment thereafter, for example, if you are exposed on the job at a later date. The hepatitis B virus vaccination is given in a series of three shots. The second shot is given one month after the first, and the third shot follows five months after the second. This series gradually builds up the body’s immunity to the hepatitis B virus. The vaccine itself is made from yeast cultures, there is no danger of contracting the disease from getting the shots, and, once vaccinated, a person does not need to receive the series again. Risk behaviors You are at risk if you share needles; receive contaminated blood during a blood transfusion; work with contaminated blood as a funeral director or embalmer; or have vaginal, oral or anal contact without barrier protection with infected partners. Prevention of hepatitis C Since hepatitis C is transmitted in much the same way as hepatitis B, you can help avoid infection by using some of the same precautions. Always use barrier protection during vaginal, anal or oral contact; practice good personal hygiene; and never share needles, razors, toothbrushes or pierced earrings with anyone. All donated blood is screened for the virus. Drugs are licensed for treatment of persons with chronic infection, though they are only about 15-30% effective. Currently, there is no vaccine available. Modes of transmission Bloodborne pathogens such as HAV, HBV, HCV and HIV can be transmitted through contact with infected human blood and other potentially infectious body fluids such as: ● Semen.
About one-quarter of these chronic carriers eventually die of severe, chronic liver diseases, including cirrhosis - a serious scarring of the liver - and liver cancer. ● About half of the people infected with hepatitis B virus never develop symptoms; but they can become chronic carriers. ● Since some areas of the world have high rates of infection, people from places such as Southeast Asia, South Pacific Islands, sub-Saharan Africa, Alaska, Amazon, Bahia, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic are at risk. Risk behaviors for contracting HBV Practicing unsafe sex. The more partners with whom you have vaginal, anal or oral contact, the higher your risk of becoming infected with hepatitis B. Abstinence is the most effective way to prevent sex-related transmission. If you have vaginal, anal or oral contact, always use barrier protection. People who have sex with multiple partners should ask their health provider about getting vaccinated for hepatitis B. Sharing needles. No matter what drug is injected, whether it’s crack, heroin or steroids, sharing needles is extremely risky. In fact, an estimated 60-80 percent of the people who share needles are or have been infected with hepatitis B. Similarly, beware of needles that could be contaminated when getting tattoos, having acupuncture or your ears pierced. Select a reputable professional for these services. Close, frequent contact with the blood, semen, vaginal secretions or saliva of infected patients. If you are a health care worker, consider getting vaccinated. Occasionally, people who share living quarters for a long time with others who have hepatitis B have gotten infected. Receiving a blood transfusion or other blood products no longer carries the threat of hepatitis B that it once did. Today, all blood is screened for hepatitis B before it is used. Prevention of hepatitis B If you are at risk of contracting hepatitis B, get vaccinated. The hepatitis B vaccine is an inactivated antigen (genetically engineered; not a live or killed virus). It is administered in a series of three injections over a six-month period. Approximately 95% of persons who receive the three injections obtain full immunity after receiving the vaccine. You are asked to report side effects (rash, nausea, joint pain, and/or fatigue) to your health care provider. Also, avoid high-risk behaviors and practice good personal hygiene when sharing food, handling human Hepatitis C (HCV) HCV is widely viewed as one of the most serious of the five hepatitis viruses. The hepatitis C virus is spread primarily through contact with infected blood and can cause cirrhosis (irreversible and potentially fatal liver scarring), liver cancer, or liver failure. Hepatitis C is the major reason for liver transplants in the United States, accounting for 1,000 of the procedures annually. The disease is responsible for between 8,000 and 10,000 deaths yearly. Some estimates say the number of HCV-infected people may be four times the number of those infected with the AIDS virus. Hepatitis C is less likely than the other hepatitis viruses to cause serious illness at first (only one-quarter of the people infected actually develop symptoms); about 70% of those infected develop chronic liver disease. Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C can be spread by contact with infected blood, and possibly semen, vaginal secretions and saliva. Hepatitis C infects about 150,000 Americans each year. Hepatitis D (HDV) The delta virus (also known as hepatitis D) is a defective virus that may cause infection only in the presence of active hepatitis B infection. The symptoms and routes of transmission are similar to those of hepatitis B infection, but are particularly significant with intravenous drug abusers and pregnant women.
● Vaginal secretions. ● Cerebrospinal fluid. ● Synovial fluid.
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Book Code: FFL1223
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