title: Epidemic hepatitis B: a sustained outbreak in a large military population.
abstract: A sustained outbreak of viral hepatitis occurred at an Army base in Texas between January 1971 and June 1973. Seven hundred ninety-two admissions but no deaths were recorded in a military population of 35,000. Cases were sporadic, with highest attack rates in low-ranking soldiers with disciplinary problems. Twenty-nine per cent of patients had histories of intravenous drug use within six months prior to  hospitalization; most of the rest had close personal contact with jaundiced persons. Of 505 patients tested, 31% were seropositive for hepatitis B antigen (HBSAg) by counterelectrophoresis. Comparison of 38 hepatitis patients (cases) to 34 orthopedic patients (controls) revealed marked differences in rates of exposure to jaundiced persons are shared needles. Sixteen (94%) of 17 antigenemic cases tested were of subtype ayw. Seven (78%) of nine NBSAg-negative cases tested were antibody (anti-HBS) positive three months later.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D013781:Texas; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens