The incidence of hepatitis-B-antigen and anti-hepatitis-B among blood donors in Ndola, Zambia.
Hepatitis-B antigen (HBsAG) was detected in the sera of 29 or 250 (11.6%) blood donors in Ndola, Zambia, most of whom were prisoners or students. The incidence among prisoners was 15.1%, among students only 1.6%. Thirteen sera were subtyped, nine carried the y and four the d antigenic determinant. Although there was a marked difference in the incidence of HBs antigen between prisoners and students, when donors were tested for antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) this positive. Overall, anti-HBs was detected in 132 of 250 blood donors (52.8%). The sensitivity of radioimmunoassay, counter-immunoelectrophoresis and a newly developed passive haemagglutination (PHA) test, employing tanned formalinised antibody coated turkey erythrocytes, was compared. Although radioimmunoassay provided the most sensitive method, the PHA test compared extremely favourably and was considered to be particularly suitable for use in the tropics.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001782:Blood Donors; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests / Q000592:standards; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000592:standards; D013334:Students; D015024:Zambia
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens