Designated Officers

 Mandatory Blood Testing Act (MBTA)

The MBTA, 2006 allows eligible persons, who have been exposed to another person’s blood and bodily fluids to request a blood sample be taken from the person they came in contact with and tested for certain communicable diseases.

Who is eligible for MBTA?

A person may apply to a Medical Officer of Health (MOH) to have a blood sample of another person analyzed if the applicant came into contact with a bodily substance of the other person in any of the following circumstances:

• As a result of being the victim of a crime.

  • While providing emergency health care services or emergency first aid to the person, if the person was ill, injured or unconscious as a result of an accident or other emergency.
  •  In the course of his or her duties, if the person belongs to a prescribed class.
  • While being involved in a prescribed circumstance or while carrying out a prescribed activity.

Prescribed classes The following are prescribed as classes of persons who may make an application under Section 2 of the Act:

• Persons who are employed in a correctional institution as defined in the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, or in a place of open custody or place of secure custody, as those terms are defined in the Child and Family Services Act.

• Police officers as defined in the Police Services Act, employees of a police force who are not police officers, First Nations Constables and auxiliary members of a police force.

•  Firefighters as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.

• Paramedics and emergency medical attendants, as those terms are defined in the Ambulance Act.

• Paramedic students engaged in field training.

• Members of the College of Nurses of Ontario.

• Members of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

• Medical students engaged in training.

• Special constables appointed under section 53 of the Police Services Act who are not employees of a police force.

What diseases are tested under the MBTA?

• Human Immunodeficiency      Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

• Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

• Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

Assessing your risk.

An exposure requires both an injury (Example: percutaneous needle or other sharp object, a splash of blood or other body fluid onto a mucous membrane or non-intact skin, or human bite that breaks the skin) and contact with blood or body fluid capable of transmitting HBV, HCV and/or HIV.

Anyone who believes that they have been exposed to a communicable disease as a result of coming into contact with blood or bodily fluid of another person should initiate first aid and immediately seek medical attention to assess the risk of infection, have baseline and serologic bloodwork ordered, decide whether to initiate prophylaxis and/or other preventative measures (immunization or immune globulin).

How to initiate the act?

The applicant must submit a Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Form 2 “Application Report” and a ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Form 1 “Physician Report” to the medical officer of health. If you are initiating the act, please call the CDC program who will provide further information.

More information

If you have further questions about the MBTA and blood borne exposures, please call 705-474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808 ext. 5229, to speak to a public health nurse.

After hours, press ‘0’ for the answering service and ask to speak with the CDC nurse on call.

Ontario Central Forms Repository

Mandatory Blood Testing Act