Abstract
Kaposi sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus (KSHV or HHV-8) infection routes and risk of occupational exposure are still ill-defined. We analysed the risk for occupational acquisition of KSHV infection in healthcare workers (HCWs) with prolonged professional exposure to patients with classic KS, comparing the results to those obtained in healthy relatives of KS patients. Serum and/or saliva KSHV-specific antibodies and DNA were detected in five out of 35 healthy relatives of KS patients but in none of the eight HCWs, suggesting that, outside strict family contacts, horizontal transmission of KSHV is highly inefficient even for HCWs with prolonged contact with KS patients.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 66-68 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Journal of Hospital Infection |
Volume | 85 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sep 2013 |
Keywords
- Healthcare workers
- Infection
- Kaposi sarcoma
- Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)
- Viruses
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases