Initial report of a hepatitis investigation in rural Belize
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg
; 87(3): 259-62, June 1993.
Article
en En
| MedCarib
| ID: med-8340
Biblioteca responsable:
JM3.1
Ubicación: JM3.1; RC960.R6
ABSTRACT
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 percent of 42 tested had immunoglobulin M antibody to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (anti-HBc IgM). In the worker and household survey populations, 248 and 280 people, respectively, were tested for anti-HBc IgM. In each group, 4 percent were positive. HBV surface antigen was found in 37 percent of 43 clinical cases, 18 percent of workers, and 13 percent of people in the household survey. Among the 3 study populations, the prevalence of HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) ranged from 73 percent to 81 percent. Almost all tested persons had 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 (AU)
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Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MedCarib
Asunto principal:
Salud Rural
/
Hepatitis A
/
Hepatitis B
Tipo de estudio:
Clinical_trials
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Región como asunto:
America central
/
Belice
/
Caribe ingles
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg
Año:
1993
Tipo del documento:
Article