title: Hepatitis in undertakers.
abstract: Six of 106 undertakers (5.6%) gave a past history of hepatitis during their professional careers; this was no different from the frequency in a control group of 3,162 accountants (5.1%) who had no direct contact with blood. None of the undertakers or 210 blood donors matched for age, sex, and ethnic background had serum positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. Five undertakers (4.7%) had blood that was positive for antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, compared with six of 210 (2.9%) in the control group; this difference was not statistically significant (P greater than .25). Thus, undertakers appear to be in a low-risk occupation with reference to acquisition of hepatitis B. Although the numbers are too small for statistical analysis, there appeared to be an increased exposure to hepatitis B in undertakers who take no preventive precautions. We recommend that the minimal precautions for undertakers be the wearing of gloves.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002048:Burial; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009027:Mortuary Practice; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000592:standards; D012306:Risk; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies