Health Professionals

This report contains recommendations from CDC on preventing transmission of HIV and the Hepatitis B virus to patients during invasive procedures. It advises health care workers to follow universal precautions, which require that blood and body fluids of all patients be handled as if they contain bloodborne pathogens.

This Special Report from Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders highlights the challenges, such as TB/HIV coinfection and drug resistance, faced in the fight against TB. The report also provides real-life examples of people living with TB.

This report updates previous US Public Health Service recommendations for the management of health-care personnel (HCP) who have occupational exposure to blood and other body fluids that may contain Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or HIV/AIDS. It contains recommendations for Hepatitis B Virus postexposure management including initiation of hepatitis B vaccine series to any susceptible, unvaccinated person who sustains blood or body fluid exposure. Guidance is provided to clinicians and exposed HCP for selecting the appropriate HBV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).

This report consolidates previous recommendations and adds new ones for preventing and controlling infections with hepatitis viruses among inmates and workers in correctional facilities. The recommendations provide guidelines for juvenile and adult correctional systems regarding (1) identification and investigation of acute viral hepatitis, (2) pre-exposure and postexposure immunization for hepatitis A and B, (3) prevention of hepatitis C virus infection and its consequences, (4) health education, and (5) release planning.

This report presents the case study of the Lighthouse Trust in Malawi, which was established to provide quality care and counseling and to improve the quality of life of persons with HIV/AIDS, including the terminally ill. The report describes the objective of the Lighthouse, its services, management, staffing, funding, community involvement, building facilities, diagnostic services, antiretroviral treatment implementation, clients served, adherence support strategies, clinical outcomes, added improvements, and lessons learned.

This report presents guidelines for identifying persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It recommends that testing for anti-HCV should include the use of an antibody screening assay, and for screening test-positive results, a more specific supplemental assay. The guidelines expand recommendations for anti-HCV testing to include an option for reflex supplemental testing, based on screening-test-positive signal-to-cut-off ratios.

This report provides an overview of various anti-TB medications.

TB ANYWHERE IS TB EVERYWHERE is the theme for 2007 World TB Day, March 24th, offering a message of urgency and shared responsibility. The theme emphasizes that although TB is a preventable and curable disease, it remains a global emergency. It reflects the chronically inadequate investment in TB control, surveillance, research and development as well as TB's deadly synergy with HIV.
The website includes planning guidance as well as advocacy materials and resources.

This report presents recommendations for preventing and controlling infectious diseases and managing personnel health and safety concerns and infection control in dental care settings. The report updates and revises previous CDC recommendations and incorporates infection-control measures.

This guide if for use in the evaluation of TB contact investigation in a congregate setting (CICS), such as workplaces, shelters, schools, and places of worship. It is meant to help public health departments, or other TB programs, efficiently investigate everyone who may have come in contact with a person infected with TB and may be at risk.