World Hepatitis Day, 28 July 2014. On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, ICN recommends that nurses seek immunisation against this highly infectious disease. The WHO estimates that two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus, and approximately 350 million people are living with chronic infections. The virus is highly infectious, around 50-100 times more infectious than HIV in cases of needle stick injury. With over 300 million carriers globally, hepatitis B represents a major infectious hazard for health care workers who are exposed to blood or blood products and bodily fluids that may contain the hepatitis B virus. For more information, see our fact sheet: Immunisations for Health-Care Workers: Influenza and Hepatitis B.

In light of the devastating outbreak of the Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, ICN applauds the work of the healthcare professionals in these countries and stresses the importance for those working in health care settings to follow basic infection control measures including hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment and safe injection practices. For more information, go to: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2014_07_27_ebola/en/

Abstracts for the ICN 2015 Conference in Seoul can now be submitted via the Internet at https://b-com.mci-group.com/AbstractSubmission/ICN2015.aspx.