Transmission profile of hepatitis B virus infection in the Batam region, Indonesia. Evidence for a predominantly horizontal transmission profile.
The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of hepatitis B virus markers among the autochthonous and immigrant multicultural populations of Riau province, Indonesia, in order to define the groups at risk and their infrastructure. This investigation was part of a large hepatitis B vaccination study. A total of 9701 healthy individuals, aged 5 years or older and living in the urbanised area of Batam, near Singapore, and on the surrounding islands were included. Socio-epidemiological data were collected, blood was drawn, and sera were tested for antibodies to hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) and surface antigen (anti-HBs). Anti-HBc-positive sera were tested against hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). All tests comprised immunoassays from Roche (Germany) using Elecsys 2010. Complete data were available from 9314 subjects. The results showed relatively low prevalences of anti-HBc (a marker of a previous hepatitis B infection) and HBsAg in the 5-year-old chiLdren (5.8 and 1.9%, respectively) that increased continuously with increasing age. High anti-HBs levels (>1000 IU/L) were found in all age cohorts, indicating a lifelong threat of active hepatitis B infection. In conclusion, the transmission profile of hepatitis B appeared to be mainly horizontal (person-to-person) in the highly endemic region studied. Vertical transmission was less than 5%. The horizontal transmission routes included non-sexual activities of life since children <10 years of age also showed considerable infection rates. The results underline the need for catch-up hepatitis B vaccination programs for children and adults.
van Hattum
Jan
J
Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands. J.vanHattum@digd.azu.nl
Boland
Greet J
GJ
Jansen
Karen G J J
KG
Kleinpenning
Anouk S
AS
van Bommel
Toon
T
van Loon
Anton M
AM
Abdurachman
Sitih A
SA
Yusuf
Hadi
H
Rulos-van den Berg
Annemarie
A
van den Berg
Jan
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission*; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
D000906:Antibodies; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines