title: [Current hepatitis B epidemiology in Germany].
abstract: Hepatitis B (HB) is the most common occupational hazard for health care workers. On the other hand 90% of the notified HB cases in Germany are observed among the general population (including other high-risk groups like i.v. drug abusers etc.). About 350 million persons all over the world are carriers of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The availability of effective HB vaccines since 1982 made a control of HB possible. In this communication we report on epidemiological changes due to hepatitis B vaccination in a large university hospital in Germany. Health care workers and non-health care workers occupied at Freiburg university hospital were tested for HBV markers in 1984/85 (n = 4218), 1989/90 (n = 4081) and 1994/95 (n = 4022) during routine occupational health check-ups. Vaccinations were performed using a plasma-derived vaccine (1984/85) or a vaccine obtained by genetic engineering, respectively (1989/90, 1994/95). In 1984/85 prevalence of anti-HBs/HBc in German health care workers (12.4%) was 2.5 times higher than the one in non-health care workers (4.9%), in 1994/95 anti-HBs/HBc prevalence in both groups (4.4 vs. 4.5%) was comparable. On the other hand HBV carriage in persons occupied in professions without blood contact increased from 1984/85 (0.5%) to 1994/95 (1.1%). Therefore, the number of HBV carriers (ca. 1.1 millions) in Germany can be roughly estimated. Our data indicate a high degree of effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccines. Vaccination programme for the general population in accordance with German (STIKO) and WHO recommendations are necessary for the control of HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Bergische Universität Gesamthochschule Wuppertal.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kralj
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michaelis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Berthold
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines