Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is the leading cause of acute and chronic inflammatory liver disease in the world. The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year over 200,000 people in the USA have new HBV infections and over 20,000 remain chronically infected. About 5% or 11,000 of the total are hospitalized with the acute disease. Over 1 million people in the USA are chronically infected with HBV and about 5,000 of these die each year from related liver disease or liver cancer. Globally, there are upwards of 250 million chronic carriers and a mortality of 250,000 people per year.

Typical modes of HBV infection include 1) from mother to child at birth, 2) contaminated injections, transfusions, accidental needle sticks, 3) sexual contact, and 4) contact with blood or other body fluids containing the virus. Furthermore, infectious amounts of virus may be left on environmental surfaces after visible blood has been removed. HBV may retain infectivity for at least 7 days on environmental surfaces at room temperature. Blood contaminated surfaces that are not routinely cleaned and disinfected become a reservoir for potential infection. Health professionals have long recognized the need to prevent HBV infections by using proven disinfectants that kill the virus on contaminated surfaces.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in compliance with its OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard established standard guidelines to reduce the risk to workers from exposure to HBV and HIV (AIDS) by contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. OSHA requires the use of an EPA registered disinfectant for use in cleaning and decontaminating surfaces and objects soiled by blood or body fluids. According to OSHA, in order for a disinfectant to meet the requirements of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard it must be effective against HIV and HBV or be effective against tubercle bacillus (TB).

Coastwide Hepastat 256 is an EPA registered, ½ ounce per gallon, one-step disinfectant-cleaner effective against HBV and HIV and complies with the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Hepastat 256 can be used for general disinfecting and cleaning while at the same time be used for clean-up of gross contaminations of blood or body fluid spills. It is no longer necessary to inventory two separate disinfectant cleaners in your facilities. Hepastat 256 will provide the effective cleaning and disinfecting power of a "quat based" formulation while at the same time protecting against bloodborne pathogens including HBV and HIV.

For more information, please contact Roger McFadden, Chief Technical Officer, at rmcfadden@coastwidelabs.com