Hepatitis B Prevalence during pregnancy.
In order to determine the efficacy of a new hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG), a phase 3, vertical transmission (mother to child) clinical interventional trial of hepatitis B virus (HBV) post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was conducted at selected sites (n=15) throughout India. This required a large screening program for HBsAg positivity at prenatal clinics located in tertiary care hospitals. 36,379 pregnant women consented to be tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by Rapid Test and if positive-confirmed by ELISA. The weighted mean prevalence was 0.82% (95% CI, 0.72, 0.91). In conclusion, the prevalence of HBV carrier state during pregnancy in India in this study was low compared to previous reports.
Department of Pediatrics, Calcutta Medical College, Kolkata, India. sukantachatterjee@hotmail.com
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Chatterjee
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Ravishankar
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Chatterjee
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Narang
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Kinikar
D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011295:Prenatal Care; D015995:Prevalence
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens