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Seventeen health workers may have been infected with HIV at work, and four have died as a result, according to a parliamentary report. A House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report published in October found that five health workers acquired HIV at work, while a further 12 were probably infected at work. Of the five definite cases, four have now died. Two were nurses who pricked themselves on needles taken from HIV patients.
Since 1997, there have been more than 1,600 cases in which staff reported similar exposure to either HIV or hepatitis B or C. However, none of these reported cases developed HIV as a result. This is partly due to better availability of post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP, which if taken as soon as possible after exposure can prevent HIV from taking hold.
The reports are available at: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmpubacc/704/704.pdf
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