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BLOODBORNE INFECTIOUS DISEASES: HIV/AIDS, HEPATITIS B, HEPATITIS C

gloved hand holding blood-stained gauze pad over disposal bag

Overview

Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations. Health care workers, emergency response and public safety personnel, and other workers can be exposed to blood through needlestick and other sharps injuries, mucous membrane, and skin exposures. The pathogens of primary concern are the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Workers and employers are urged to take advantage of available engineering controls and work practices to prevent exposure to blood and other body fluids.

Bloodborne Infectious Disease Resources

Universal Precautions for Preventing Transmission of Bloodborne Infections

General Resources on Bloodborne Pathogens

Engineering Controls and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Occupations Affected by Bloodborne Infectious Diseases

Surveillance

Preventing Needlesticks and Sharps Injuries

Management and Treatment Guidelines

Safe Community Needle Disposal

Related Sites

Featured Publications

Preventing Exposures to Bloodborne Pathogens among Paramedics
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2010-139 (April 2010)
En Español

Use of Blunt-Tip Suture Needles to Decrease Percutaneous Injuries to Surgical Personnel
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2008-101 (October 2007)
En Español

Information for Employers, Complying with OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2009-111 (March 2009)

Workbook for Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Sharps Injury Prevention Program

NIOSHTIC-2 Search

NIOSHTIC-2 search results on Bloodborne Infectious Disease
NIOSHTIC-2is a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in whole or in part by NIOSH.