Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C among rural emergency medical care personnel

Abstract

To identify the prevalence of serologic markers of hepatitis B and hepatitis C among rural prehospital providers, a prospective descriptive study was conducted of a rural county emergency medical services (EMS) system. Participants included 107 prehospital care providers: 102 EMT-Bs, 1 paramedic, and 4 law enforcement first responders. Blood samples taken from prehospital care providers were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (HBsAb), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAb), and antibody to hepatitis C (anti-HC). The 107 providers had a total of 635 years of EMS experience (5.93 years per subject). Three providers (3%) had received previous blood transfusions, 7 (7%) had worked in a metropolitan area, and 6 (6%) had multiple sexual partners prior to the study. No provider reported intravenous drug use or known homosexual or bisexual contact. Only one sample tested positive for hepatitis C antibody (anti-HC) and hepatitis surface antibody (HBsAb). Rural prehospital care personnel have a low prevalence (0.9%) of exposure to hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Despite this fact, continued vigilance should be maintained in preventing transmission of bloodborne illnesses.