Regular Hepatitis Testing Can Prevent Outbreak of the Virus

Regular Hepatitis Testing Can Prevent Outbreak of the Virus

Earlier this year, a hepatitis outbreak swept through an assisted living facility in Mount Olive, North Carolina. By the time the contagion had run its course, six of the eight infected individuals were dead. What started out as four Hepatitis B infections quickly swelled to eight, reinforcing the importance of regular STD testing in facilities where individuals come in close medical and care-giving contact with each other.

That's because, as Eyewitness News 9 out of Greenville, N.C. reported, the disease is "usually spread through contact with blood or body fluids like medical devices that are shared among patients." Once the outbreak was discovered, all residents at the facility were tested, but by then if they were going to be exposed to the Hepatitis B virus they already had been. The spread of the disease prompted an investigation into the care center by the Division of Health and Human Services.

Following that investigation, the assisted living facility found itself in the hot seat when five medical technicians employed there admitted that they'd used the same glucose monitoring pens on several patients. To make matters worse, in a confidential interview, one medical technician "indicated the glucometers and lancing devices were not routinely cleaned and disinfected between uses."

Because blood samples are required to measure blood sugar levels, the sharing of pens could have caused the outbreak, but there is no proof that the practice did. All of those individuals infected, however, were purportedly diabetic.

Hepatitis testing revealed that the two survivors of the outbreak had antibodies to Hepatitis B in their bloodstreams that showed possible infection from the virus. Those individuals "were never diagnosed and have since recovered."

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), Hepatitis B is a virus affecting the liver that can be passed on from one individual to another. Symptoms typically reveal themselves two to three months after exposure to the virus and include abdominal pain, dark urine, joint pain, nausea and vomiting, weakness and fatigue, and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes). Those people who are exposed to blood or bodily fluids at work are particularly susceptible to contracting the virus. When it becomes chronic, Hepatitis B can cause symptoms and may even be fatal, especially in older patients and those with compromised immune systems.

The best way to prevent spreading and the occurrence of the virus is through Hepatitis testing. The Hepatitis B PCR qualitative testing uses the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and detection technique to locate the virus for Hepatitis B. Because of its high sensitivity, it is a popular choice for early detection or confirmation testing. It is a particularly useful test in situations like the one at the assisted living center where concern over a widespread outbreak weighs heavily and time is of the essence.

The results for this test are qualitative. Turnaround time is typically 7 business days and it can detect the virus in infected individuals just a few weeks after a suspected contact or exposure, before symptoms occur.

Cassie Flanigan is a Marketing Coordinator at WRIS Web Services. Request a Test is a confidential and affordable hepatitis testing company, which also provides HIV PRC testing.

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