A person with HBV is infective soon after contracting the virus, and the infectious period continues through the acute and chronic illness. Patients infected with HBV or other bloodborne organisms can appear healthy, so you can't tell whose blood is infectious.
So treat all of the following as if they were infectious:
- Blood
- Body fluids
- Secretions (except sweat)
- Excretions
- Non-intact skin
- Mucous membranes
