Ethnic and geographic variations in the prevalence of hepatitis A, B and C among aboriginal villages in Hualien, Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Taiwan is endemic for viral hepatitis infections. A field survey was performed in the isolated aborigines in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, to investigate the geographic and ethnic variations in hepatitis epidemiology.


METHODS
From 1996 to 1998, blood was drawn from 1,748 subjects from two southern Ami and two northern Atayal villages for serum markers of hepatitis A, B and C.


RESULTS
Hepatitis A infection approached 100% in all groups. Hepatitis B infection and carrier rates were higher in the Atayal than in the Ami (92.3% vs. 49.1% and 20.8% vs. 5.3%; p<0.01). Hepatitis C infection rates were higher in three villages (27.5%, 20.1% and 25.4% vs. 3.6%; p<0.01). Hepatitis C infection increased with age (p<0.01) while hepatitis B infection did not.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatitis A infected most aborigines before the age of 15 years. Hepatitis B seldom infected people after the age of 15 years, while hepatitis C continued to infect people who were older. Geographic factors are important for hepatitis C infection, whereas for hepatitis B infection, in addition ethnicity is also important.
Lin
H H
HH
Dept. of Gastroenterology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan. yoyo@tzuchi.org.tw
Li
Y H
YH
Yu
J H
JH
Wang
Y W
YW
Lua
A C
AC
Huang
L C
LC
Huang
S C
SC
Lee
M L
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology