Which diseases are targeted by the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?

• A. Tuberculosis
• B. HBV, HCV, and HIV
• C. Influenza
• D. Hepatitis A

Answer: (B)

Exposure to diseases transmitted through contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials is what OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard aims to prevent. The diseases this standard covers are hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, because these infections can be spread through blood in workplace settings and there are established protections—such as vaccination for HBV, post‑exposure evaluation and follow-up, use of personal protective equipment, and exposure control plans—to reduce that risk. Tuberculosis is primarily an airborne illness spread through respiratory droplets, not by blood, so it falls outside this standard. Influenza is also a respiratory infection, and Hepatitis A is typically spread via the fecal‑oral route, not through blood. Therefore, the trio HBV, HCV, and HIV are the diseases targeted by the standard.