Hepatitis B virus infected health care workers in The Netherlands, 2000-2008.

In response to the confirmed transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from a surgeon to several patients in the Netherlands, a 'Committee for Prevention of Iatrogenic Hepatitis B' was established in 2000. During the years 2000-2008, the committee reviewed 99 cases of HBV-infected health care workers. Fifty of them were found to perform exposure prone procedures (EPPs).

[Epidemic of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus due to the transfer of 2 Dutch burn patients from a hospital outside of the Netherlands; who suffers the consequences?].

Two burns patients who were transferred to the Central Military Hospital Utrecht from a foreign hospital, were found to be colonised with MRSA. During their 5-week hospitalisation, 21 healthcare workers and one patient became colonised with the same MRSA strain, despite isolation precautions. The department was closed for 29 days; 96 admissions were cancelled and 1411 screening cultures for MRSA were performed.

Transmission of hepatitis B virus from a surgeon to his patients during high-risk and low-risk surgical procedures during 4 years.

Objective: We investigated cases of acute hepatitis B in The Netherlands that were linked to the same general surgeon who was infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Design: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 1,564 patients operated on by the surgeon. Patients were tested for serologic HBV markers.