TY - JOUR
T1 - Initial report of a hepatitis investigation in rural Belize
AU - Hoffman, Kenneth J.
AU - Gaydos, Joel C.
AU - Duncan, J. Fred
AU - Legters, Llewellyn J.
AU - Krieg, Richard E.
AU - Jaramillo, Ruth
AU - Reyes, Linda G.
AU - Legters, Llewellyn J.
AU - MacArthy, Philip O.
AU - Ticehurst, John R.
AU - Sjogren, Maria H.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements We thank Medical and Scientific Aid to Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia for financial support, Diagnostics Pasteur (Paris) for providing Monolisa@ kits and Dr Andy Hall (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) for comments on the manuscript.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by United States Army Medical Research and Development Command Grant DAMD17-90-Z-0013. The opinions or assertions contained within this paper are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the US Department of the Army, of the Department of Defense, or any agency of the United Stateso r Belize governments.
PY - 1993/6
Y1 - 1993/6
N2 - In spring 1991, Belizian health officials expressed concern about a possible hepatitis outbreak in a banana farming district. A study was designed to identify cases and to address the serological prevalence of hepatitis virus markers. Three populations were studied: (i) persons meeting a clinical case definition for hepatitis; (ii) designated banana workers; and (iii) people in a random sample of households in the community. Information was collected using questionnaires and sera were collected for laboratory testing. This report presents the preliminary results of a study conducted in June 1991. Among people who met the clinical case definition, 24% of 42 tested had immunoglobulin M antibody to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (anti-HBc IgM). In the worker and household survey populations, 284 and 280 people, respectively, were tested for anti-HBc IgM. In each group, 4% were positive. HBV surface antigen was found in 37% of 43 clinical cases, 18% of workers, and 13% of people in the household survey. Among the 3 study populations, the prevalence of HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) ranged from 73% to 81%. Almost all tested persons had evidence of prior hepatitis A virus infection. Evidence of prior infection with hepatitis viruses A and B was widespread, but an aetiology could not be established for most of the clinical cases. However, the prevalence of hepatitis B markers in this population was very high compared to other reports from the Caribbean.
AB - In spring 1991, Belizian health officials expressed concern about a possible hepatitis outbreak in a banana farming district. A study was designed to identify cases and to address the serological prevalence of hepatitis virus markers. Three populations were studied: (i) persons meeting a clinical case definition for hepatitis; (ii) designated banana workers; and (iii) people in a random sample of households in the community. Information was collected using questionnaires and sera were collected for laboratory testing. This report presents the preliminary results of a study conducted in June 1991. Among people who met the clinical case definition, 24% of 42 tested had immunoglobulin M antibody to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (anti-HBc IgM). In the worker and household survey populations, 284 and 280 people, respectively, were tested for anti-HBc IgM. In each group, 4% were positive. HBV surface antigen was found in 37% of 43 clinical cases, 18% of workers, and 13% of people in the household survey. Among the 3 study populations, the prevalence of HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) ranged from 73% to 81%. Almost all tested persons had evidence of prior hepatitis A virus infection. Evidence of prior infection with hepatitis viruses A and B was widespread, but an aetiology could not be established for most of the clinical cases. However, the prevalence of hepatitis B markers in this population was very high compared to other reports from the Caribbean.
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U2 - 10.1016/0035-9203(93)90117-9
DO - 10.1016/0035-9203(93)90117-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 8236384
AN - SCOPUS:0027317708
VL - 87
SP - 259
EP - 262
JO - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
SN - 0035-9203
IS - 3
ER -