What Is Occupational Exposure To Herpes?

A painful infection typically affecting the fingers or thumbs and occasionally affecting the toes or on the nail cuticle, a herpetic whitlow is a lesion that usually affects healthcare and dental workers.

Herpes whitlow can be caused by infection by HSV-1 or HSV-2. Often times, it is contracted by healthcare workers that come into contact with the virus. It has also been observed in thumb-sucking children with primary HSV-1 oral infection.

Symptoms of herpetic whitlow may include swelling, reddening and tenderness of the skin

Herpetic whitlow is sometimes accompanied by fever and swollen lymph nodes and is also observed in adults between the ages of 20 and 30 following contact with HSV-2 infected genitals.

This type of herpes can infect any part of the skin, but is most common in the fingers. It is unlikely to spread in the absence of lesions. The risk of a pregnant woman passing this form of herpes onto the fetus is very low.

Typically the whitlow virus enters the body through a cut or abrasion. Once there, it can cause an outbreak of symptoms similar to those of oral facial or genital herpes. Herpetic whitlow can be recurring.

In the past, herpetic whitlow afflicted a large number of dentists, surgeons and other healthcare professionals whose hands were in contact with patient’s saliva frequently. The widespread use of latex gloves and other precautions in more recent years have greatly reduced the spread of herpetic whitlow.

Today, herpetic whitlow is primarily caused by HSV-2 in sexually active adults and is almost always the result of hand contact with lesions during the initial episode of genital herpes, prior to the development of a full immune response. The risk of herpetic whitlow is small in those with recurrent genital herpes, however, it is still a good idea to avoid touching HSV lesions. If you accidentally make contact, be sure to wash your hands immediately. The simple use of soap and water will kill the virus, averting the risk of whitlow. Avoid biting your nails if you have oral facial herpes.

In cases where whitlow is caused by genital herpes, it usually occurs when an individual touches their own lesions during a first episode. Not all cases of whitlow are a result of an HSV-2 infection. Some cases have been traced to adults who have an HSV-1 infection and have a nail or cuticle biting habit.

If you find you have any form of herpes or even if you are unsure of what your symptoms are and only suspect you suffer from herpes, it’s important you speak to a healthcare professional immediately to ensure you understand exactly what you suffer from, treatment options, prevention and whether or not it is contagious for other people.

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What Is Occupational Exposure To Herpes?

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