View source for Blood-borne disease

A '''blood-borne disease''' is one that can be spread by contamination by [[blood]].

The most common examples are [[HIV]], [[hepatitis B]], [[hepatitis C]] and [[viral hemorrhagic fever]]s.

Diseases that are not usually transmitted directly by blood contact, but rather by insect or other vector, are more usefully classified as ''vector-borne disease'', even though the causative agent can be found in blood. Vector-borne diseases include [[West Nile virus]] and [[malaria]].

Many blood-borne diseases can also be transmitted by other means. 

Since it is difficult to determine what pathogens any given blood contains, and some blood-borne diseases are lethal, standard medical practice regards all blood (and any body fluid) as potentially infective. ''Blood and Body Fluid precautions'' are a type of [[infection control]] practice that seeks to minimize this sort of disease transmission.
Blood poses the greatest threat to health in a laboratory or clinical setting due to needle disposal techniques.

Blood for [[blood transfusion]] is screened for many blood-borne diseases.

[[Needle exchange]]s are an attempt to reduce the spread of blood-borne diseases in intravenous drug users. One of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent disease transmission is hand washing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cprlongisland.com|title=CPR course descriptions|accessdate=2008-03-11|publisher=CPR Long Island}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Blood test]]
* [[Infectious disease]]
* [[Sharps bin]]
* [[Needlestick injury]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/chemregindex.htm Selected EPA-registered Disinfectants - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]
* [http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=PREAMBLES&p_toc_level=1&p_keyvalue=Bloodborne%7EPathogens OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard (BBPS)]
* [http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/ Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention], from the [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration]] (OSHA)
* [http://npic.orst.edu/reg2.htm#antimic Antimicrobials Information - National Pesticide Information Center]
* [http://www.vega.org.uk/video/programme/87 Professor Andrew Speilman, Entomologist, Harvard School of Hygiene and Public Health] Freeview Malaria video by the Vega Science Trust.
* [http://www.vega.org.uk/video/programme/52 Rob Hutchinson, Entomolgoist, Mosquitoes] London School of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases. Freeview video by the Vega Science Trust.  
* http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/bp.html
*[http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/#prevent  NIOSH Bloodborne Infectious Diseases Topic Page]

[[Category:Infectious diseases]]
[[Category:Occupational safety and health]]
[[Category:Microbiology]]
[[Category:2Fix]]