Occupational acquisition of HIV infection among health care workers in the United Kingdom: data to June 1997. Local Collaborators, PHLS AIDS and STD Centre, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health.

Transmission of HIV infection to health care workers in the work place through percutaneous or mucocutaneous exposure to blood or blood stained fluid remains rare, but it is important for countries to publish updates of cases of HIV infection thought to be occupationally acquired. The last update for the United Kingdom (UK) summarised data to the end of 1992; this paper summarises cases reported to have occurred by June 1997. Four HIV infections classified as 'definite' occupational acquisitions had been reported in the UK by 1993. No further cases in this category have been reported since, but the number of "possible" occupationally acquired cases has risen from six to eight. Seven of the 12 definite and possible cases reported worked as nurses, four were doctors (of whom two were surgeons), and one was a phlebotomist. Seven of the transmissions were thought to have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. Passive reporting of exposures to HIV was replaced by a more active reporting system in July 1997 in which occupational health departments are contacted regularly.