title: Screening for hepatitis B in East Arnhem Land: a high prevalence of chronic infection despite incomplete screening.
abstract: Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common in Aboriginal Australians, but current seroprevalences in Northern Territory communities are unknown. We performed an audit of HBV serology on a convenience sample of 112 adults at an East Arnhem Land Health Service. Complete HBV serology was only available in 26 (23%) patients. Evidence of HBV exposure (core antibody-positive) was found in 43 of 68 (63%) patients tested, and current HBV infection (surface antigen-positive) was found in nine of 76 (12%). HBV is an incompletely defined, under-resourced and substantial public health problem in Aboriginal Australians.
authors.affiliation: Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult