Review
- The term virus refers to a pathogen which can grow and reproduce only after infecting a host cell. More than 400 types of viruses that cause a great variety of illness are known.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects the body. The immune system is compromised and allows for other infectious agents to infect the body leading to disease. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) can be a result of HIV. It is transmitted via blood or sexually. Several years may pass before HIV results in the AIDS disease, and it is unknown if HIV always leads to AIDS. HIV and AIDS are found in bodily fluids, such as semen or blood, and cannot be spread by casual contact such as water fountains or toilets.
- There are multiple forms of hepatitis: A, B, C, and E. Hepatitis A is spread through oral or fecal contact; hepatitis E is self-limiting and spread through water or food contaminated with feces. Hepatitis B and C are spread though contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, blood, seminal or vaginal fluids including sexual contact or needle sharing. These are the types healthcare workers are most susceptible to occupational exposure.
- In addition to these communicable diseases, OSHA and the NCDOL have identified other communicable pathogens such as malaria, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and syphilis in the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard.
If you have any questions at any time regarding the information presented in this tutorial, please contact David Sullivan at 910-916-0688.
(North Carolina Department of Labor (2010). A guide to bloodborne pathogens in the workplace.)
At the completion of this course, please make sure to choose both "Email Score", and "Print Certificate". For compliance, please include your job title. The completed report ("Email Score") is emailed to the OSHA Services coordinator for record keeping, and the printed certificate is for your personal records.
Please go to the next module, "Unit 2-Methods Of Compliance".
After finishing this lesson, complete the form below: