A pseudo-outbreak of hepatitis B virus caused by cross-contamination from a semiautomatic cap remover for blood collection tubes is reported. The source of the outbreak was elucidated by using basic epidemiological methods. Laboratories should always be critical about their results in order to identify contamination problems.

doi.org/10.1086/508844, hdl.handle.net/1765/56232
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Department of Anesthesiology

Diederen, B., Verhulst, C., van 't Veen, A., van Keulen, P., & Kluytmans, J. (2006). Pseudo-outbreak of hepatitis B virus infection associated with contamination of a semiautomatic cap remover. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 27(11), 1258–1260. doi:10.1086/508844