Blood-borne infections: “hidden passage” outside blood transfusions
In areas of general misperceptions, blood-borne infections are often thought to occur only through blood transfusions. However, the fact is far from simple, that blood-borne infections have many potential modes of transmission and are hidden in many corners of our daily lives.
Blood transfusion infections are indeed a relatively well-known means of blood transmission. When blood or blood products containing pathogens are imported, the recipient may be infected. For example, if blood contaminated with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or HIV is imported, the virus enters the blood recipient and reproduces in large numbers under appropriate conditions, leading to the disease. This is also why blood products are subject to rigorous testing and screening before being used to minimize the risk of blood transfusion infections. But blood transfusions are not the only “entry point” for blood-borne infections.
The sharing of syringes is another “conspirator” of blood-borne infections. In some cases of illicit drug use, injecting equipment is often shared by drug users. Since the syringe may have the blood of the previous user, if it contains viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis C virus, etc., the next user is infected with the virus as the syringe enters its own blood system. This situation is particularly acute in areas where drugs are widespread and where effective drug control and health education is lacking. According to statistics, the proportion of blood-borne infections caused by the sharing of syringes is quite high among certain specific populations, posing significant challenges to public health security.
In addition, in a medical environment, blood-borne infections can occur if medical devices are not fully sterilized. For example, intrusive examinations or therapeutic devices, such as gastroscopes, enteroscopes, dental devices, etc., may be transmitted to the next patient if, after use, they are not treated in accordance with strict sterilization procedures. Imagine that if a patient with hepatitis B used a stomach mirror, which was used for the next patient ‘ s examination without a thorough clean-up, the hepatitis B virus could enter the new patient ‘ s body with trace blood left over from the stomach mirror, opening a new infection journey in silence.
There is also a risk of blood-borne infections if the behaviour of aesthetics, such as tattoos and piercs, is not regulated. In the process of piercing needles and needles in the skin, if they are not strictly disinfected, the blood with the virus may be left on the device and then infected with the next user. For example, hepatitis C virus is relatively stable in the external environment, and if a tattoo is contaminated with hepatitis C virus, the next tattooer may be infected with hepatitis C, which many often ignore in their quest for fashion beauty.
Accidental injuries in daily life may also involve blood-borne infections. When a person ‘ s wound is in direct contact with the blood that contains the virus, there is a risk of infection. For example, in some occupational settings, such as health-care workers, police, sanitation workers, etc., they may be exposed to the blood of others and are vulnerable to infection if they have wounds and are poorly protected. Or in the event of an accident in a number of public places, when people are bleeding and help with the wound, they may be at risk of infection because they have unhealed wounds on their hands.
Blood-borne infections are by no means confined to blood transfusions alone. We live in an environment of potential risks, where knowledge of the multiple pathways of blood-borne infections helps us to raise awareness of prevention and to take effective preventive measures. The risk of blood-borne infections can be reduced to a certain extent by ensuring strict disinfection of equipment in medical behaviour, and by avoiding the sharing of items that may be exposed to blood in daily life, as well as by providing personal protection.
