Occupational risk of HIV, HBV and HSV-2 infections in health care personnel caring for AIDS patients.

Abstract

We have prospectively followed for 9-12 months, 246 female health care workers (HCWs): 102 with high exposure (HE), 43 with low exposure (LE), and 101 with no exposure (NE) to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) patients. No HCWs have clinical, serologic, or immunologic evidence of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection. No HCWs in the HE group seroconverted to cytomegalovirus (CMV). One HCW in the HE group seroconverted to Hepatitis B virus (HBV), another HCW in the HE group seroconverted to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) although all three groups were similar with respect to HBV and HSV-2 seropositivity. If hospital infection control practices are employed when HCWs care for AIDS patients or work with their biological specimens, the risk of occupationally acquiring a HIV, CMV, HBV or HSV-2 infection appears to be low.