Approximately how many healthcare workers are infected with HBV each year?

Approximately how many healthcare workers are infected with HBV each year?

• A. 1,000
• B. 3,000
• C. 5,000
• D. 10,000

Answer: (B)

HBV is highly transmissible through blood and body fluids, so healthcare workers face real exposure risk from needle sticks and splashes. Vaccination against HBV is highly effective and remains the strongest protection, and when exposure does occur, prompt post‑exposure prophylaxis further reduces the chance of infection. Because of these protections, the annual number of HBV infections among healthcare workers tends to fall in the middle of the range used in training materials. The middle option best reflects this realistic estimate: it accounts for ongoing exposures while acknowledging that vaccination and prevention measures curb the total. The lower option would understate the ongoing risk, and the higher ones would overstate it given current prevention practices.

HBV is highly transmissible through blood and body fluids, so healthcare workers face real exposure risk from needle sticks and splashes. Vaccination against HBV is highly effective and remains the strongest protection, and when exposure does occur, prompt post‑exposure prophylaxis further reduces the chance of infection. Because of these protections, the annual number of HBV infections among healthcare workers tends to fall in the middle of the range used in training materials. The middle option best reflects this realistic estimate: it accounts for ongoing exposures while acknowledging that vaccination and prevention measures curb the total. The lower option would understate the ongoing risk, and the higher ones would overstate it given current prevention practices.