Hepatitis C virus: guidance on the risks and current management of occupational exposure. PHLS Hepatitis Subcommittee.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission after percutaneous exposure to blood at work has been documented. Follow up of health care workers who report significant percutaneous or mucocutaneous exposures to sources that are known to be, or that might be, HCV-infected should include storage of serum from the source (if identifiable) and anti-HCV testing of the blood specimen obtained from the health care worker at six months post-exposure. Routine testing of the health care worker's initial post-exposure specimen for anti-HCV is not recommended at present, nor is the routine use of human normal immunoglobulin as prophylaxis against HCV infection. Routine anti-HCV testing of blood specimens obtained from identifiable sources of unknown HCV status is not at present justified.