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Updated: May 16, 2026

Ex Vivo Infection of Human Lymphoid Tissue and Female Genital Mucosa with Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 and Histoculture
Published on: October 12, 2018
Patients-to-healthcare workers HIV transmission risk from sharp injuries, Southern Ethiopia
Biruck Desalegn1, Hunachew Beyene, Ryo Yamada
1Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. biruck471@yahoo.ca
Background:
Accidental needlestick injury rate among healthcare workers in Hawassa is extremely high. Epidemiological findings proved the infectious potential of this injury contaminated with a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patient's blood.
Objective:
This study aimed at estimating the risk of HIV transmission from patients to healthcare workers in Hawassa City, Ethiopia.
Method:
A probabilistic risk model was employed. Scenario-based assumptions were made for the values of parameters following a review of published reports between 2007 and 2010.
Parameters:
HIV prevalence, needlestick injury rate, exposure rate, sero-conversion rate, risk of HIV transmission and cumulative risk of HIV transmission.
Finding:
Generally, healthcare workers in Hawassa are considered to be at a relatively low (0.0035%) occupational risk of contracting HIV - less than 4 in 100,000 of healthcare workers in the town (1 in 28,751 workers a year). The 30 years' maximum cumulative risk estimate is approximately five healthcare workers per 1000 workers in the study area. Still, this small number should be considered a serious matter requiring post-exposure prophylaxis following exposure to unsafe medical practice leading to HIV infection.
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