title: Hepatitis B transmission in school contacts of retarded HBsAg carrier students.
abstract: A prospective study was performed to assess the rate of transmission of hepatitis B from mentally retarded carrier students to susceptible mentally retarded peer students or school staff. Eighteen hepatitis B carriers were integrated into a public school program for the developmentally disabled, and serum hepatitis B markers were monitored in staff and students over 14 months. During this time no susceptible staff acquired hepatitis B serologic markers. Of susceptible students, 1.8% demonstrated seroconversion, but the route of infection is likely to have been outside the classroom environment. The results indicate that the risk of hepatitis B transmission is low in this particular school program.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications*; D012574:Schools
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens