Hepatitis B virus infections among Danish surgeons.
Acute viral hepatitis B is considered to be an occupational risk to health-care workers worldwide. At the 1977 annual meeting of the Danish Society of Surgeons, 224 participants were examined for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HGsAg) and antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) with use of a radioimmunoassay. None of the surgeons was HBsAg-positive, but 23% had anti-HBs. The prevalence of anti-HBs was five times higher among these surgeons than that in an age-matched control population. Hepatitis acquired during occupation as a surgeon was predominantly of type B, in contrast to hepatitis acquired before entering the surgical profession. Danish surgeons must be regarded as a group at high risk of hepatitis B infection.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors; D003718:Denmark; D013502:General Surgery; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008875:Middle Aged; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens