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HIV and hepatitis B infection in an international cohort of dental hygienists
Author(s) -
DOBLOUG JAN H.,
GERNER NINA WIENCKE,
HURLEN BJÖRN,
BRUUN JOHAN N.,
SKAUG KJELL
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.1988.tb01582.x
Subject(s) - medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , hepatitis b , cohort , hepatitis , family medicine , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis c , immunology , virus
– The risk for dental hygienists to contract HIV and hepatitis B infection at work was studied in an international cohort of 167 dental hygienists from 13 countries. A significant proportion of the hygienists had taken care of HIV‐positive patients or patients known to be at risk for contracting HIV infection. None of the hygienists had antibodies to HIV. Five hygienists who came from or worked in high‐endemic areas for hepatitis B infection had antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen, consistent with previous infection with hepatitis B virus. The study is in agreement with previous reports on blood‐borne infections among health care workers, concluding that the risk for dental hygienists of contracting HIV and hepatitis B infection is minimal.