Familial clustering of hepatitis B virus infections and prevention of perinatal transmission by immunization with a reduced number of doses in an area of intermediate endemicity (Tunisia).
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was detected in 3.3% of 7162 pregnant Tunisian women tested and HBeAg in 9.6% of the HBsAg-positive mothers. Family members of 46 of these HBsAg-positive mothers (33 husbands and 61 children aged 1-6 years) were investigated for the presence of HBV markers. HBsAg was detected in 21% of the children and 18% of the husbands. Fifty children born to HBsAg-positive mothers received hepatitis B vaccine at birth, at the age of 2-3 months and at the age of 9 months. After immunization, anti-HBs were detected in 92% of them with an anti-HBs geometric mean titre of 415 mIU ml-1. Compared with the HBsAg carrier state in older siblings, the protective efficacy was estimated to be 60%. It was 100% for infants born to HBeAg-negative mothers, but only 31% for those born to HBeAg-positive mothers. For a better efficacy, the schedule of the EPI needs to be modified to include an immunization session at 1 month of age.
Coursaget
P
P
Institut de Virologie de Tours, Faculté de Pharmacie, France.
Gharbi
Y
Y
Khrouf
N
N
Depril
N
N
Boukhris
N
N
Fritzell
B
B
Kastally
R
R
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000191:economics; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; C075657:Hevac B