title: Contagiousness of acute hepatitis B. Secondary attack rates in household contacts.
abstract: In order to define the hazard of household exposure to patients with acute hepatitis B, in the absence of persistent hepatitis B surface antigen (HBSAg), 98 household contacts of 42 patients with the acute disease were interviewed and tested for HBSAg, antibody to HBSAg (anti-HBS), and serum transaminases shortly after identification and at 3-month intervals for at least 12 months. Most of the index cases with acute hepatitis B were young men and many had used illicit drugs parenterally before the onset of illness. Three of the household contacts had HBSAg detected on initial testing, and 2 of these were carriers with elevated serum transaminase levels. The 3rd HBSAg-positive contact developed acute hepatitis within 2 weeks. This appeared to represent a coprimary infection. Fourteen contacts had anti-HBS on initial evaluation and were considered immune as a result of prior experience with hepatitis B. Of 81 susceptible contacts (neither HBSAg nor anti-HBS on initial screening), 13 were spouses or sexual partners and 2 of these developed acute hepatitis B at 4 and 6 months after the onset of illness in their respective index cases; another developed anti-HBS at 6 months. Thus, 3 (23%) of 13 exposed spouses or sexual partners developed evidence of hepatitis B infection during the surveillance period. In contrast, no evidence of hepatitis B infection related to household exposure was found in 68 parents, siblings, and other domestic contacts. These data confirm the contagiousness of hepatitis B for household contacts of acute cases and suggest that the risk is confined to spouses and sexual partners. These persons appear to be prime candidates for prophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003075:Coitus; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens