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Date : Sunday, 17 May 2015
Time : 12:58
Title : Introduction to blood-borne diseases


What are blood-borne diseases? What are they caused by? Generally, the public tend to associate blood-borne diseases with HIV and AIDS. However, what exactly causes HIV and AIDS?

Blood-borne diseases are caused by blood-borne pathogens which are infectious microorganisms that are found in human blood that can lead to disease in humans. These diseases can be transmitted through unprotected contact with contaminated blood. There are a significant number of blood-borne pathogens currently known in the medical community. 

Depending upon the nature of the causative agents, blood-borne diseases fall into four categories of which parasites and viruses are far more prevalent than are bacteria and prions. The three major blood-borne pathogens are: hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), although other diseases can be transmitted via the blood-borne route of infection. Exposure to blood containing any of these pathogens carries a risk of transmission of the infection.

While most blood-borne pathogens are spread sexually or through the use of shared needles for illicit intravenous drug use, they can be transmitted via accidental needle sticks and other sharp object-related injuries. Healthcare workers, including doctors, dentists, and nurses, can become exposed through needlestick injuries, which occur if they are accidentally pricked with a needle that has been used on an infected person. Drug users who share needles can also become infected with blood-borne pathogens, and this is a major route of transmitting HCV. In the past, people receiving blood transfusions and blood products were also at risk of infection by blood-borne pathogens. 


In the following entries, we will be discussing a few major blood-borne pathogens in detail and certain precautions to reduce the dangers of exposure to blood-borne pathogens.