Klarinet Archive - Posting 000196.txt from 1999/01

From: "Diane Karius, Ph.D." <dikarius@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] HIV via saliva
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 16:08:08 -0500

Grant wrote:
> Also, the HIV virus is relatively fragile, as viruses go, and doesn't
> survive long outside the body. When I worked at Chiron, the virologists
> were much more concerned when they worked with Hepatitis C than when they
> worked with HIV.
>
That is my experience as well - personally and professionally. I
teach our medical students universal precautions. In the past, I was
told that our students did not take to these precautions well
(forgetting to use gloves, etc.... when handling blood. Physicians
in general have been the slowest population to use these
precautions rigorously). This problem persisted to some extent
after I took this over (amazing what telling the students they will
lose half the points for the lab for each infraction will accomplish
:-)! I got rid of the problem completely this year because of the
facts regarding Hep. C. That really shook them up. The chronic
hepatitis that can occur following hep C infection (chronic infection
is common, but not everyone develops severe hepatitis) will account
for 5000 deaths in the U.S. this year and most of the liver
transplants.

Diane R. Karius, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology
University of Health Sciences
1750 Independence Ave.
Kansas City, MO 641o6-1453
email: dikarius@-----.EDU

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