title: Familial pattern of infection with hepatitis B virus among immigrating Ethiopian Jews in Israel.
abstract: Seventy-eight families (506 members) of recently immigrating Ethiopian Jews to Israel, were tested for the presence of HBV serological markers to evaluate the intrafamilial horizontal transmission of the virus. Eighty-four members (16.6%) were carriers and 20.2% were HBeAg positive, the overall infection rate was 67.8%. In 40 families (51.3%) at least one family member was HBsAG positive, and in 19 families (24.4%) two or more family members were HBsAg positive. Thirty-six carriers (42.8%) were children under the age of 10, by one year of age 30% have contracted the virus, and by the age of 5 and 10 years 43.5% and 57.1% have had serological markers for past HBV infection, respectively. Our data correlate with other studies regarding the importance of horizontal spread of HBV among Sub-Saharan Africans.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Unit, Central Emek Hospital, Afula, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bisharat
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flatau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D007585:Jews; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies