[Transmission of hepatitis B virus by a surgeon]

A Dutch surgeon transmitted hepatitis B virus (HBV) to several of his patients (8 certain cases, 2 probable cases and 18 possible cases). To view this accident in the proper context, we estimated the incidence of HBV transmission in the Netherlands from surgeons to patients (1/37,000 surgical procedures) and from patients to non-immune surgeons (0.8%/surgeon/year). The incident as such is alarming because of the high frequency of HBV transmission that occurred. However, the number of infections involved was lower than the expected number of iatrogenic HBV infections in the Netherlands during the given period. It is advisable to quickly implement the WHO guidelines, demanding universal HBV vaccination of infants, and to organize vaccination of risk groups (including medical personnel) in the Netherlands.