title: Sero-prevalence of hepatitis B infection among dental professionals.
abstract: Dental employees in government institutions in a State in Peninsular Malaysia were screened for exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 1989. Almost all (96.8%) of the 217 employees responded. One quarter (24.8%) was positive for at least one serological markers to HBV; 2.4% had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 22.4% had anti-body to HBsAg (anti-HBs). The presence of HBsAg was unrelated to age, sex, ethnicity, geographical locality and occupations of the subjects. The prevalence of anti-HBs increased with age and was highest for ethnic Chinese (53.6%), followed by Indians (25%), compared to Malays (14.9%) (p less than 0.001) and were increased among dentists (53.1%) and assistant nurses (33.3%). The overall prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs were similar to the situation in the community. However, dentists and their chairside assistant nurses, with a higher proportion of Chinese, had higher anti-HBs prevalences compared with that of the general population.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Negri Sembilan Darul Khusus, Malaysia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vadivale
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003797:Dental Staff / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens