Hepatitis B antibody levels in health-care workers of a large general hospital in Barbados

ABSTRACT

In order to assess the immune status to Hepatitis B in a general hospital population in the Caribbean, we studied the antibody level to Hepatitis B surface antigen (anti HBs) and to core antigen (anti HBc) in 90 health-care workers at the Queen Elizbeth Hospital in Barbados, West Indies. There was one asymptomatic carrier with Hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg). Thirteen (14.6 percent) of the remaining 89 possessed anti HBs; 10 of these (11.2 percent) were considered to be immune, and three non-immune. The 10 immune subjects were also positive for anti HBc whereas the other three "non-immune" positives were not. One person in the study had strong anti HBc immunity but was negative for anti HBs. There appeared to be no relationship between immunity and age, sex, profession or duration of work years. From the study, 76 individuals (84 percent were easily identified as being susceptible to Hepatitis B and were candidates for HBV vaccine. (AU)