An overview of hepatitis B serology screening check-up program among Thai workers.
In Thailand, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is hyperendemic; approximately 5 million Thais are chronic HBV carriers. Here, an overview of hepatitis B serology among Thai workers who got the screening check-up program of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during January 1998 to December 2000 is reported. The data from hepatitis B serology examinations of 650 Thai workers who visited the Out-Patient Division, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during the study period for the screening program before starting work was analyzed. Among the subjects examined, 107 were HBsAg-, anti-HBc-; 64 were HBsAg+, anti-HBc+; and 479 were HBsAg-, anti-HBc+. Not unexpectedly, in the present study, the rate of chronic hepatitis B infection among the subjects is high (9.8%). Screening for parasitic infection among this population can help decrease the development of late complications as well as rejection of laborers by their employers.
Wiwanitkit
Viroj
V
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalonhkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. wviroj@pioneer.netserv.chula.ac.th
D004651:Employment; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D015995:Prevalence; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens