Dental professionals may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens in their work, and dental students may be a particularly vulnerable group. Fear of exposure has also been linked to discriminatory practices. A cross-sectional survey of dental students was conducted at one U.S. dental school to assess their knowledge about the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and management of exposures; the frequ...

Emergency whole blood transfusions may increase the risk of transmitting bloodborne pathogens, including human T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLVs). U.S. military personnel with any medical encounter for HTLV infection during 2000-2013;2008 were identified from surveillance data. Using both inclusive and restrictive case definitions, the incidence of diagnoses of HTLV infection was analyzed in relati...

In the United States, transmission of viral hepatitis from health care-related exposures is uncommon and primarily recognized in the context of outbreaks. Transmission is typically associated with unsafe injection practices, as exemplified by several recent outbreaks that occurred in ambulatory health care settings. To prevent transmission of bloodborne pathogens, health care workers must adher...

The development of novel and high-tech solutions for rapid, accurate, and non-laborious microbial detection methods is imperative to improve the global food supply. Such solutions have begun to address the need for microbial detection that is faster and more sensitive than existing methodologies (e.g., classic culture enrichment methods). Multiple reviews report the technical functions and stru...

Health-care workers (HCWs) are at risk for infections with bloodborne pathogens resulting from occupational exposures to blood through percutaneous injuries (PIs). Phlebotomy, one of the most commonly performed medical procedures, has been associated with 13% - 62% of injuries reported to hospital occupational health services and 20 (39%) of the 51 documented episodes of occupationally acquired...

Animals that live in a tropical environment are exposed to a variety of pathogens, including tick-borne pathogens, tsetse-borne pathogens and intestinal parasites. The clinical significance of pathogens on a population basis is in part determined by the exposure rate of animals to these pathogens. If the prevalence of pathogens is significantly high, the risk of exposure is high and the potenti...