Eliminating the Blood: Ongoing Outbreaks of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and the Need for Innovative Glucose Monitoring Technologies

Increased Risk of Acute Hepatitis B among Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus

“…35 The outbreaks were attributed to lapses in infection control, mainly during assisted blood glucose monitoring; dental procedures and podiatric care also could have played a role in HBV transmission. 8,10,[17][18][19][20][21][22] Although most cases in these outbreaks were associated with procedures performed in congregate living settings, the potential for transmission of HBV is present whenever equipment or surfaces are contaminated with blood or body fluids from an HBV-infected person.…”

“…15,16 Outbreaks of hepatitis B among persons with diabetes residing in long-term care (LTC) settings (e.g., nursing homes and assisted-living facilities) suggests there could be an increased risk for HBV infection in these settings. 8,[17][18][19][20][21][22] However, the incidence and magnitude of risk for acute hepatitis B is unknown among the general population of adults with diabetes or after excluding persons whose HBV infection could reasonably be attributed to other recognized risk behaviors. For this analysis, we sought to determine the association between diabetes and acute hepatitis B among adults without known risk behaviors for acquiring HBV infection.…”

Prevalence of Bacterial Contamination of Glucose Test Strips in Individual Single-Use Packets versus Multi-Use Vials

“…14,15 Furthermore, international guidelines have been published that attempt to minimize the risk of hospital infection associated with the use of glucose meters. 9,16 The role of glucose measurement test strips as infection transmission agents has not been evaluated in depth to date.…”

Aetiology of Asymptomatic Raised Serum Alanine Aminotransferase in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…16,17 HBV infection outbreaks have been reported among diabetic patients who share a blood glucose meter without cleaning and disinfecting between uses, associated with limited awareness of the high risk for HBV transmission during finger stick blood glucose monitoring. 18 In our study, the prevalence of HBsAg positive was 13.2%.…”