TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Occupational hazards of traditional healers: repeated unprotected blood exposures risk infectious disease transmission
JO  - Tropical medicine and international health
A1  - Audet, Carolyn M.
A1  - Salato, José
A1  - Blevins, Meridith
A1  - Silva, Wilson
A1  - González-Calvo, Lázaro
A1  - Vermund, Sten H.
A1  - Gaspar, Felisbela
SP  - 1476
EP  - 1480
VL  - 21
IS  - 11
N2  - OBJECTIVE: Healers provide support for acute and chronic illnesses in rural Mozambique, such as socially acceptable traditional "vaccinations" (subcutaneous cuts in the skin to rub herbs directly into the bloody lesion). We aimed to document the frequency of blood exposure by traditional practitioners in Mozambique. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted surveys with a simple random sample of 236 traditional healers in Zambézia province. Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare "injection" behaviors across districts. <br><br>RESULTS: Healers treated a median of 8 patients in the past month (IQR: 4-15). 75% conducted "injections". These healers "injected" a median of 4 patients (IQR: 1-8), used a new razor a median of 3 times (IQR: 1-8), and almost never used gloves. Lifetime blood exposures among those who provided "injections" during treatments were estimated to be 1,758 over a healer's career. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The majority of healers is exposed repeatedly to patient blood. Given the high prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and C virus, and other blood-borne agents, specific healer practices are an occupational hazard and reuse of razors is risky for their clients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.<br><br>This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1360-2276
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12775
ID  - ref1
ER  -