From: Ian Blenkharn
Category: News & information
Date: 22 Mrz 2008
Time: 18:01:34 +0100
Remote Name: 86.137.92.131
Further news that the CDC is investigating as many as four more potential cases of laundry and housekeeping workers infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, as a result of needlestick injuries they suffered at work.
[more]
The Surveillance of Occupationally Acquired HIV/AIDS in Healthcare Personnel, as of December 2006 (updated September 2007) is available here.
Thankfully, the numbers of cases are small, but even 1 case is too many. Add to these cases of proven infection the many more who might have contracted Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C following sharps injury, of those who endured the agony of emergency anti-HIV treatment after injury, and then of the many months of anguish waiting for what that most terrible news.
It is of great concern that those working in the waste disposal sector are not included in this CDC analysis, and indeed are omitted from most other studies of this kind.
The legislation introduced by European Directive 2000/54/EC addresses "the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work". It is quite clear that this refers to workers, all of them, wherever they may be and whatever they may do. It is of great concern that the HSE presentation leans heavily toward the protection of healthcare staff, and fails to address those others, such as waste handlers in the disposal sector, for whom the risks may be just as great.
Ian