Risk for the occupational infection by cytomegalovirus among health-care workers

Abstract

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) are ubiquitously distributed worldwide, causing a wide range of clinical manifestations from congenital infection to a life-threatening disease in immunocompromised individuals. CMV can be transmitted via human-to-human contact through body fluids; however, the risk of CMV infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) has not been fully evaluated.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the risk of CMV infection among HCWs through daily medical practices.

Methods: Serum samples from HCWs at Osaka University Hospital (Japan) were analysed. Initially, we compared CMV IgG seropositivity among HCWs (medical doctors, nurses, and others) in 2017, which was examined after 1 year to evaluate seroconversion rates among those with seronegative results. Then, we examined CMV seroconversion rates in HCWs who were exposed to blood and body fluids.

Findings: We analysed 1153 samples of HCWs (386 medical doctors, 468 nurses, and 299 others), of which CMV seropositivity rates were not significantly different (68.9%, 70.3%, and 70.9%, respectively). Of these, 63.9% (221/346) of CMV seronegative HCWs were followed after 1 year, with CMV seroconversion rates of 3.2% (7/221). Among 72 HCWs who tested negative for CMV IgG when exposed to blood and body fluids, the CMV seroconversion rate was 2.8% (2/72). The CMV seroconversion rates between the two situations were not significantly different.

Conclusion: Our study indicated that CMV infection through daily patient care seems quite rare. Further well-designed studies with a large sample size are warranted to verify our finding.

Keywords: Blood and body fluid exposure; Cytomegalovirus; Healthcare workers; Occupational infection; Seroconversion.