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© 1987 Oxford University Press

research-article

A Seroepidemiological Study of the Prevalence of Hepatitis B Infections in a Hyperendemic New Zealand Community

A MILNE, G K ALLWOOD, C D MOYES, N E PEARCE and K NEWELL

Whakatane Hospital Whakatane, New Zealand
Department of Community Health, Wellington Clinical School Wellington, New Zealand
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Pembroke Place, Liverpool L35 5QA, UK

The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and its antibody (anti-HBs) were studied in 93% of the population of the New Zealand township of Kawerau. Sera were collected from 7901 subjects over six months old, and 3318 (42%) had markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Five hundred and nineteen (6.6%) were positive for HBsAg and 485 (96.4%) of 503 retested were confirmed as chronic carriers. HBsAg prevalence was 5.4% in the 0–4 years age group but only 1 of 66 children under one year old was positive suggesting that later cross infection, rather than perinatal transmission was the major factor responsible for the high pre-school carrier rate. Total HBV marker prevalence increased dramatically in early school years and peak marker prevalence was 67.7% in the 15–19 year age group. Prevalence of HBsAg was more than four times higher in non-Europeans than in Europeans (Caucasians). Other factors significantly associated with hepatitis B virus marker prevalence in children were: number of years spent in Kawerau, which was associated with anti-HBs prevalence; and size of household, which was associated with HBsAg prevalence. Number of siblings was not a significant risk factor over and above the effect of size of household.

Factors associated with marker prevalence in adults were: number of years spent in Kawerau, which was associated with anti-HBs; birth in the Northern half of the North Island, which was associated with both HBsAg and anti-HBs; size of household, which was more strongly associated with HBsAg prevalence; and amateur tattoos, which were associated with anti-HBs prevalence but not with HBsAg prevalence.

Received 1 May 1986


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