Prevalence of hepatitis B in selected Alaskan Eskimo villages.
Sera collected in 1973-1975 from 3053 residents of 12 selected Alaskan Eskimo villages were tested for evidence of hepatitis B virus infection. Overall, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was found in 6.4% of those tested. Evidence of hepatitis B infection (positive for HBsAg or antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs] varied considerably by village, from 4.6% to 69.9%, and increased with advancing age. The proportion with HBsAg was significantly higher in those under the age of 13 years, and the male/female ratio varied from 0.9 to 1.5 to 1.5 in the prepubertal, postpubertal-premenopausal, and postmenopausal age groups, respectively. The prevalence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in HBsAg-positive persons decreased with advancing age, and conversely, the prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B e antigen (anti-HBe) increased with age. Hepatitis B infection was found to be sporadically distributed, with great village-to-village variation and further variation by household within most villages. The high HBsAg and HBeAg seropositivity observed in children suggests that children are both more recently infected with hepatitis B and are more involved in hepatitis B transmission in these villages.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000413:Alaska; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D004930:Inuit; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012698:Serologic Tests
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens