Prevalence of hepatitis C antibodies in health care personnel.

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in health care personnel in an HCV endemic area, we conducted a seroprevalence study of 1638 Kurume University Hospital physicians, nurses, laboratory staff, and clerical staff (560 men, 1078 women). Antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) was found in 2.8% (46) of subjects and hepatitis B surface antigen was found in 1.1% (18). The anti-HCV positive rate in health care personnel was no higher than reported in the general population of Fukuoka prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. There were no significant differences in anti-HCV positive rate by occupation. However, the prevalence of anti-HCV positive individuals increased significantly as age and length of time in an occupation increased. Anti-HCV positive rate in health care personnel was probably not related to length of time in an occupation. The data suggest that HCV infection is not easily transmitted to health care personnel in an HCV endemic area.