title: Incidence of hepatitis B in the penitentiary of New Mexico.
abstract: A study was conducted to determine the incidence of hepatitis B (HB) in a prison population. Forty-seven per cent of 455 male prisoners had evidence of past HB infection. HB seropositivity was most strongly correlated with: 1) a history of IV drug abuse; 2) age; 3) total time in any prison; and 4) race. During a one-year study period there were no clinical cases of HB in the prison and the seroconversion rate was 0.8 per cent among prisoners still incarcerated.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009516:New Mexico; D011329:Prisoners; D044469:Racial Groups; D012306:Risk; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D013653:Tattooing; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens