10A NCAC 41A .0203      CONTROL MEASURES ‑ HEPATITIS B

(a)  The following are the control measures for hepatitis B infection. The infected persons shall:

(1)           refrain from sexual intercourse unless condoms are used except when the partner is known to be infected with or immune to hepatitis B;

(2)           not share needles or syringes;

(3)           not donate or sell blood, plasma, platelets, other blood products, semen, ova, tissues, organs, or breast milk;

(4)           if the time of initial infection is known, identify to the local health director all sexual intercourse and needle partners since the date of infection; and, if the date of initial infection is unknown, identify persons who have been sexual intercourse or needle partners during the previous six months;

(5)           for the duration of the infection, notify future sexual intercourse partners of the infection and refer them to their attending physician or the local health director for control measures; and for the duration of the infection, notify the local health director of all new sexual intercourse partners;

(6)           identify to the local health director all current household contacts;

(7)           be tested six months after diagnosis to determine if they are chronic carriers, and when necessary to determine appropriate control measures for persons exposed pursuant to Paragraph (b) of this Rule;

(8)           comply with all control measures for hepatitis B infection specified in Paragraph (a) of 10A NCAC 41A .0201, in those instances where such control measures do not conflict with other requirements of this Rule.

(b)  The following are the control measures for persons reasonably suspected of being exposed:

(1)           when a person has had a sexual intercourse exposure to hepatitis B infection, the person shall be tested;

(2)           after testing, when a susceptible person has had sexual intercourse exposure to hepatitis B infection, the person shall be given a dose appropriate for body weight of hepatitis B immune globulin and hepatitis B vaccination as soon as possible; hepatitis B immune globulin shall be given no later than two weeks after the last exposure;

(3)           when a person is a household contact, sexual intercourse or needle sharing contact of a person who has remained infected with hepatitis B for six months or longer, the partner or household contact, if susceptible and at risk of continued exposure, shall be vaccinated against hepatitis B;

(4)           when a health care worker or other person has a needlestick, non‑intact skin, or mucous membrane exposure to blood or body fluids that, if the source were infected with the hepatitis B virus, would pose a significant risk of hepatitis B transmission, the following shall apply:

(A)          when the source is known, the source person shall be tested for hepatitis B infection, unless already known to be infected;

(B)          when the source is infected with hepatitis B and the exposed person is:

(i)            vaccinated, the exposed person shall be tested for anti‑HBs and, if anti-HBs is unknown or less than 10 milli-International Units per ml, receive hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis B immune globulin as soon as possible; hepatitis B immune globulin shall be given no later than seven days after exposure;

(ii)           not vaccinated, the exposed person shall be given a dose appropriate for body weight of hepatitis B immune globulin immediately and begin vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine within seven days;

(C)          when the source is unknown, the determination of whether hepatitis B immunization is required shall be made in accordance with current published Control of Communicable Diseases Manual and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Copies of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual may be purchased from the American Public Health Association, Publication Sales Department, Post Office Box 753, Waldora, MD 20604 for a cost of twenty-two dollars ($22.00) each plus five dollars ($5.00) shipping and handling. Copies of Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines contained in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 for a cost of three dollars fifty cents ($3.50) each. Copies of both publications are available for inspection in the General Communicable Disease Control Branch, Cooper Memorial Health Building, 225 N. McDowell Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603-1382.

(5)           infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers shall be given hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of birth or as soon as possible after the infant is stabilized. Additional doses of hepatitis B vaccine shall be given in accordance with current published Control of Communicable Diseases Manual and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines. The infant shall be tested for the presence of HBsAg and anti-HBs within three to nine months after the last dose of the regular series of vaccine; if required because of failure to develop immunity after the regular series, additional doses shall be given in accordance with current published Control of Communicable Diseases Manual and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Copies of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual may be purchased from the American Public Health Association, Publication Sales Department, Post Office Box 753, Waldora, MD 20604 for a cost of twenty-two dollars ($22.00) each plus five dollars ($5.00) shipping and handling. Copies of Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines contained in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 for a cost of three dollars fifty cents ($3.50) each. Copies of both publications are available for inspection in the General Communicable Disease Control Branch, Cooper Memorial Health Building, 225 N. McDowell Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603-1382;

(6)           infants born to mothers whose HBsAg status is unknown shall be given hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth and the mother tested. If the tested mother is found to be HBsAg-positive, the infant shall be given hepatitis B immune globulin as soon as possible and no later than seven days after birth;

(7)           when an acutely infected person is a primary caregiver of a susceptible infant less than 12 months of age, the infant shall receive an appropriate dose of hepatitis B immune globulin and hepatitis vaccinations in accordance with current published Control of Communicable Diseases Manual and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines. Copies of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual may be purchased from the American Public Health Association, Publication Sales Department, Post Office Box 753, Waldora, MD 20604 for a cost of twenty-two dollars ($22.00) each plus five dollars ($5.00) shipping and handling. Copies of Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines contained in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 for a cost of three dollars fifty cents ($3.50) each. Copies of both publications are available for inspection in the General Communicable Disease Control Branch, Cooper Memorial Health Building, 225 N. McDowell Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603-1382.

(c)  The attending physician shall advise all patients known to be at high risk, including injection drug users, men who have sex with men, hemodialysis patients, and patients who receive multiple transfusions of blood products, that they should be vaccinated against hepatitis B if susceptible. The attending physician shall also recommend that hepatitis B chronic carriers receive hepatitis A vaccine (if susceptible).

(d)  The following persons shall be tested for and reported in accordance with 10A NCAC 41A .0101 if positive for hepatitis B infection:

(1)           pregnant women unless known to be infected; and

(2)           donors of blood, plasma, platelets, other blood products, semen, ova, tissues, or organs.

(e)  The attending physician of a child who is infected with hepatitis B virus and who may pose a significant risk of transmission in the school or day care setting because of open, oozing wounds or because of behavioral abnormalities such as biting shall notify the local health director. The local health director shall consult with the attending physician and investigate the circumstances.

(f)  If the child referred to in Paragraph (e) of this Rule is in school or scheduled for admission and the local health director determines that there may be a significant risk of transmission, the local health director shall consult with an interdisciplinary committee, which shall include school personnel, a medical expert, and the child's parent or guardian to assist in the investigation and determination of risk. The local health director shall notify the superintendent or private school director of the need to appoint such an interdisciplinary committee. If the superintendent or private school director establishes such a committee within three days of notification, the local health director shall consult with this committee. If the superintendent or private school director does not establish such a committee within three days of notification, the local health director shall establish such a committee.

(g)  If the child referred to in Paragraph (e) of this Rule is in school or scheduled for admission and the local health director determines, after consultation with the committee, that a significant risk of transmission exists, the local health director shall:

(1)           notify the parents;

(2)           notify the committee;

(3)           assist the committee in determining whether an adjustment can be made to the student's school program to eliminate significant risks of transmission;

(4)           determine if an alternative educational setting is necessary to protect the public health;

(5)           instruct the superintendent or private school director concerning protective measures to be implemented in the alternative educational setting developed by school personnel; and

(6)           consult with the superintendent or private school director to determine which school personnel directly involved with the child need to be notified of the hepatitis B virus infection in order to prevent transmission and ensure that these persons are instructed regarding the necessity for protecting confidentiality.

(h)  If the child referred to in Paragraph (e) of this Rule is in day care and the local health director determines that there is a significant risk of transmission, the local health director shall notify the parents that the child must be placed in an alternate child care setting that eliminates the significant risk of transmission.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 130A‑135; 130A‑144;

Eff. February 1, 1990;

Amended Eff. October 1, 1990;

Recodified from 15A NCAC 19A .0201(i) Eff. June 11, 1991;

Amended Eff. August 1, 1998; October 1, 1994;

Temporary Amendment Eff. February 18, 2002;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2003;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. January 9, 2018.