Background: Health care workers (HCW) are at risk of occupational exposure to infectious diseases and can also transmit diseases to their patients. The related occupational disease (BK: "Berufskrankheit") is BK 3101.
Objective: Number of claims and confirmed claims of occupational infections, risk of infection depending on occupation and field of activity, kind of infectious diseases, limits and opportunities of prevention.
Materials and methods: Selective literature search, particularly on data of accident insurance institutions regarding occupational infections among HCW.
Results: In 2017, BK 3101 was the fifth most common cause of confirmed occupational disease. The number of occupational infections in HCW has decreased over the last 22 years in Germany. The decrease was primarily due to lower rates of blood-borne infections.
Conclusion: Occupational infections continue to be a risk for HCW. Preventive measures reduce the risk of infection among HCW as well as the nosocomial transmission among patients.
Keywords: Health personnel; Nosocomial infection; Occupational diseases; Prevention and control, communicable diseases; Vaccination, occupational.