title: Community studies on prevalence of HBsAg in two urban populations of southern India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out prevalence of HBsAg in general population, especially in under-five children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bangalore and Rajahmundry towns in southern India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Localities were chosen as the sampling units in each town. About 10-20 households were randomly selected from each locality. Only the youngest but apparently healthy person present in the household was interviewed for age, sex and history of jaundice any time in life. Mothers were interviewed to collect data for children below 15 years of age. Blood samples were collected from these persons on filter paper strips (18-mm diameter disc, Whatman filter paper No. 3) by finger prick method. The samples were tested for HBsAg by Micro ELISA (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 3.3% (95% CI, 2.0-4.5) of 737 persons in Rajahmundry and 4.2% (95% CI, 2.8-5.5) of 816 persons in Bangalore were found carriers of HBsAg. Age-specific or sex specific carrier rates were similar in Rajahmundry as well as in Bangalore. Most of the carriers (96%) denied having jaundice ever in life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this community based study are in agreement with the historical data from hospital based studies that about 3-5% of persons may be carriers of HBsAg and that the pool of chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus in India is built up in childhood and is then maintained in older children and adults. The results highlight the need of completing hepatitis B immunization during the infancy.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khare
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Patnaik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sokhey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens