Occupational Exposure to Blood-Borne Viruses Among Waste Management Workers in Kano State

Waste management workers who collect, sort, and dispose of healthcare and municipal waste are at elevated risk of blood-borne virus (BBV) exposure, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, through percutaneous injuries from discarded sharps and mucocutaneous contact with contaminated waste. This study assesses the prevalence of occupational BBV exposure incidents and seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV among waste management workers in Kano State, North West Nigeria. A cross-sectional design will recruit 200 workers from the Kano State Waste Management Authority, stratified by formal healthcare waste handlers and municipal waste sorters. Structured questionnaires will capture data on personal protective equipment use, sharps injury frequency, post-exposure reporting practices, and vaccination history. Blood samples will be tested for HBsAg, anti-HCV antibodies, and HIV rapid antigen-antibody assay. Studies from Nigerian urban waste management settings indicate BBV exposure rates are elevated due to poor needle disposal compliance by healthcare facilities. Findings will characterise the occupational BBV risk profile of Kano's waste management workforce and generate recommendations for the Kano State Government to develop mandatory BBV vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis programmes for formal waste management employees, aligned with national occupational health guidelines. Keywords: blood-borne viruses, occupational exposure, waste management workers, Kano State, sharps injury