Maternal-infant transmission of hepatitis B in Egypt.
In order to determine whether maternal-infant (vertical) transmission of hepatitis B is a common route of infection leading to chronic antigenemia in Egypt, 901 asymptomatic women in labor were evaluated. Forty-three women (4.8 percent) were positive for HBsAg, but only one woman was positive for HBeAg. From one year of observation of children born to 13 of the HBsAg-positive mothers, vertical transmission of hepatitis B was estimated to have occurred in approximately 1.7% of births, with chronic antigenemia resulting from 0.6% of births. It was also possible to observe 29 children born to women negative for HBsAg. Horizontal transmission of hepatitis B occurred in 17.2 percent of these children during the first year of life. Maternal-infant transmission of hepatitis B at birth does not appear to be the predominant mechanism of hepatitis B transmission or a common cause of chronic antigenemia in Egypt. The first year after birth appears to be a more important period of hepatitis B transmission. Therefore, vaccination of all children at birth with hepatitis B vaccine could be an effective vaccine strategy despite a low incidence of vertical hepatitis B transmission.
Hyams
K C
KC
U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Osman
N M
NM
Khaled
E M
EM
Koraa
A A
AA
Imam
I Z
IZ
el-Ghorab
N M
NM
Dunn
M A
MA
Woody
J N
JN
D000328:Adult; D004534:Egypt; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines