PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-B, HEPATITIS-C, AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS MARKERS AMONG HOSPITAL EMPLOYMENT APPLICANTS

To delineate baseline seroprevalence rates before job placement, appli cants for employment (n = 300) at a large urban medical center were sc reened for serologic markers to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) during a 15-wee k period in 1992. Eighteen applicants (6%) were positive for antibodie s to HBV, nine (3%) for HCV, and 3 (1%) for HIV. There was no associat ion by gender for any of these viral markers; however, both HBV and HC V were significantly more often detected in persons applying for hourl y positions who were black. In an urban setting, preemployment screeni ng of health care workers for HBV and HCV markers appears warranted, a nd serum banking for later HN analysis, should a claim arise, is sugge sted.