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What Every Law Enforcement Officer Should Know About DNA Evidence

Investigators and Evidence Technicians

Exposure to Infectious Materials

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National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (see reuse policy).

The following can cause exposure to infectious materials:

  • Accidental needle stick
  • Contact with broken skin
  • Aerosols (spray)
  • Mucosal contact (eye, nose, and mouth)
  • Contact with any surface that has not been adequately cleaned

Hand to mouth activity is the most common route to infection. Do not eat, drink, or smoke in a crime scene.

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