What are blood-borne viruses?
Blood-borne viruses (BBVs) are viruses that some people carry in their blood and can be spread from one person to another. Those infected with a BBV may show little or no symptoms of serious disease, but other infected people may be severely ill. You can become infected with a virus whether the person who infects you appears to be ill or not – indeed, they may be unaware they are ill as some persistent viral infections do not cause symptoms. An infected person can transmit (spread) blood-borne viruses from one person to another by various routes and over a prolonged time period.
The most prevalent BBVs are:
- human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)- a virus which causes acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS), a disease affecting the body's immune system;
- hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C; BBVs causing hepatitis, a disease affecting the liver.
As well as through blood, these viruses can also be found and transmitted through other body fluids, for example:
- vaginal secretions;
- semen; and
- breast milk.
Unless contaminated with blood, minimal risk of BBV infection is carried by:
- urine;
- saliva;
- sweat;
- tears;
- sputum;
- vomit; and
- faeces.
The presence of blood in these bodily fluids and materials isn't always obvious, so care should still always be taken to avoid infection.
Blood-borne viruses covered in this guidance
| Abbreviation | Full name | Principal Disease |
|---|---|---|
| HIV 1 | Human immunodeficiency virus - Type 1 | AIDS |
| HIV 2 | Human immunodeficiency virus - Type 2 | AIDS |
| HBV | Hepatitis B virus | Hepatitis (acute and chronic) |
| HCV | Hepatitis C virus | Hepatitis (acute and chronic) |
| Notes: All these viruses are in ACDP Hazard Group 3. | ||
Further details
Blood-borne viruses that cause hepatitis include the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Other viruses that cause hepatitis (such as hepatitis A and E) are not usually passed on by blood-to-blood contact and hence do not present a significant risk of blood-borne infection. The hepatitis D virus, previously known as the 'delta agent', is a defective virus, which can only infect and replicate in the presence of HBV.
The number of occupational exposure incidents relating to blood or other high-risk body fluids are collated and reported bi-annually by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in their Eye of the Needle report.