An outbreak of hepatitis B associated with acupuncture

2 clusters of between 5 and 11 cases of hepatitis B virus infection were associated with acupuncture by a physician late in 1986. The source of the infection is believed to have been an Ethiopian immigrant, a known HBsAg carrier. While he was being operated on a nurse cut her finger on a scalpel blade. During the prodromal period of hepatitis which followed, she was treated by acupuncture. The acupuncture needles were supposedly sterilized by dry heat for 80 minutes at 200 degrees. However, there were apparently breaks in technique which were responsible for the spread of the infection to at least 4 other women, ranging in age from 26 to 80 years. We stress the need for strict enforcement of correct sterilization procedures whenever needles are used to pierce skin. This should be performed only by licensed practitioners of officially recognized occupations, some of which are not as yet covered by our national health regulations.