Occupational infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 after a needlestick injury

Douglas, Mark W; Walters, Jane L; Currie, Bart J

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04384.x

Topics

To the Editor: A 27-year-old hospital medical officer received a penetrating needlestick injury to her left hand, drawing blood, after using a 22-gauge needle to deroof a vesicle for diagnosis in a two-year-old patient with orolabial herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The medical officer had no significant medical history, took no regular medication, and had no previous history of oral or genital herpes.

1 Royal Darwin Hospital, Casuarina, NT.
2 Tropical Medicine and International Health Unit, Menzies School of Health Research, Casuarina, NT.

Correspondence: mark_monique@one.net.au

Acknowledgements:

We thank Mr Peter Farkas, Clinical Photographer at Royal Darwin Hospital.

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