Risk groups

Persons at increased risk of infection include:

• substance use with sharing of equipment
  • shared, unsterile needles in parenteral drug abusers
  • inhalation drug use
• recipients of blood transfusions - if donor blood is not screened for HBsAg
• haemodialysis patients
• exposure to HBsAg-positive person e.g - sexual partners of chronic HBV carriers
• high-risk sexual activities
  • unprotected sex
  • multiple sexual partners
• neonates of HBsAg positive mothers - usually at the time of birth or during close contact afterwards, rather than via the umbilical vein
• occupational exposure to blood/body fluids
  • health-care workers - e.g. skin abrasions
• birth in a region with intermediate or high endemicity
• institutionalised individuals and their attendants e.g. prisoners, mentally handicapped - especially Down's syndrome
• exposure before 7 years of age (e.g. - child’s immediate and/or extended family immigrated from a region of intermediate/high endemicity and/or child visited such a region
• use of shared/contaminated materials or equipment
  • instruments/tools used for personal services procedures such as tattooing/ piercing/body modifications
  • alternative health care that has the potential to break the skin
  • family members of infected patients - shared toothbrushes, shared razors, sexual contacts
  • medical devices (e.g., glucometers)
• travel to/residence in a region of intermediate/ high endemicity (1)

Reference:

• (1) Public Health Agency of Canada. Primary care management of hepatitis B – Quick reference 2013