WORKPLACE & Health Screening
Medvet Laboratories offers pre-employment and workplace testing for immunisation and serological status for Infectious Diseases.
Hepatitis Serology – Hepatitis A & B
Contracting an infectious disease such as hepatitis can result in a huge loss of productive staff time, along with the possibility of other staff members being infected during the incubation period. Many employees work in occupations with significant risk of exposure to Hepatitis, so vaccination of at-risk employees should be an OH&S priority.
Medvet Laboratories offers Hepatitis serology testing to determine active immunity. This can be performed pre and/or post vaccination. This is most relevant for Health Care Workers and for those who may be exposed to certain biohazards (blood and body fluids) in the course of their work.
Hepatitis B¹
Hepatitis B infection frequently causes symptomatic acute hepatitis with a long incubation period. Adults can be infectious for several weeks prior to the onset of illness to the end of their acute illness phase. During recovery, malaise and fatigue may persist for many weeks. 1-12% of adults infected become chronic infected carriers.
Transmission of Hepatitis B is usually via a needle stick injury or other types of inoculation, including via blood or body fluid exposure.
Vaccination for Hepatitis B is recommended for those at significant occupational risk, such as all Health Care Workers and Emergency Services and Correctional Services Personnel. A comprehensive list of those at risk can be found in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
Serological confirmation of post vaccination immunity is recommended.
Hepatitis A¹
Hepatitis A is an acute infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) which is now classified as a hepatovirus. The virus survives well in the environment – it persists on hands for several hours and in food kept at room temperature for considerably longer. The virus is relatively resistant to heat and freezing temperatures.
Patients are infectious for up to 2 weeks prior to the onset of illness and for a week after the onset of jaundice. It does not cause chronic liver disease. HAV is predominantly transmitted by the faecal-oral route and is readily transmitted by person to person contact.
Immune status testing and vaccinations are recommended for Health Care Workers, Child Care workers, Food Handlers, Sewage Workers, Plumbers, and workers in Rural and Indigenous Communities.
Bio-exposure Testing
Medvet Laboratories offer staff and source testing following bio-exposure incidents such as needle stick injuries and exposure to blood or body fluids.
Recommended Tests:
Hepatitis A, B, C
HIV
Q Fever Serology¹
Q fever is primarily an occupational disease of workers from the meat and livestock industries, with non-immune new employees or visitors being at highest risk of infection. The infection is transmitted to humans during contact with infected animals, e.g. transporting or slaughtering.
Q fever vaccination is recommended for those at risk of infection and includes Abattoir and Meat Workers, people who work with livestock, Farmers, Shearers, Wool Classers and Animal Transporters etc.
All employees working with animals should be tested for Q-fever and vaccinated. Pre-employment levels are recommended for all prospective employees entering into the meat industry.
Prior to vaccination, persons with a negative history of previous Q fever should have a serum antibody estimation and a skin test. If a person has a history of previous infection with Q fever or has already been vaccinated, then skin testing and serology are not required and vaccination is contraindicated.
Medvet Laboratories offers Q fever testing for immune status prior to vaccination as well as serological testing for suspected active infection.
¹Vaccination Information Source:
The Australian Immunisation Handbook 9th Edition