Abstract
A 41-year-old woman became ill with acute hepatitis B after gynecological surgery performed by a surgeon who was hepatitis B surface antigen positive. The surgeon was positive for hepatitis B e antigen, and HBV DNA concentrations in the serum, saliva, and sweat of the surgeon were very high. HBV genotype and partial HBV DNA sequences from the HBV-infected surgeon were identical to those in the HBV-infected patient. Extensive research by the committee including infection control and prevention specialists judged the source of infection to be a surgeon infected with HBV. Transmission of HBV from a healthcare worker to patients who are not immune to HBV can actually happen. This case report illustrates the importance of a stringent policy of a nationwide HBV universal vaccination program.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are indebted to Dr. Shogo Iwabuchi, Director of Ohuna Chuo Hospital, and Dr. Satoshi Kimura, Director of Tokyo Teishin Hospital, for their important suggestions and advice during the investigation and preparation of the manuscript.
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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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Sugimoto, S., Nagakubo, S., Ito, T. et al. A case of acute hepatitis B related to previous gynecological surgery in Japan. J Infect Chemother 19, 524–529 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10156-012-0477-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10156-012-0477-5