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Hepatitis B in the non‐residential mentally handicapped population
Author(s) -
DEVLIN J. B.,
MULCAHY M.,
CORCORAN R.,
RAMSAY L.,
TYNDALL P.,
SHATTOCK A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1993.tb00325.x
Subject(s) - population , psychiatry , psychology , medicine , environmental health
This study describes seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B in seven centres caring for non‐residential mentally handicapped individuals. Overall, 11% were hepatitis B marker seropositive and 4% had the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Male sex and increasing age were associated with seropositive status, and Down's syndrome was associated with the presence of HBsAg. Immediate family members of those with hepatitis B markers were screened and 22% had evidence of heptatitis B markers. Forty‐one family members were identified when the mentally handicapped individual was HBsAg positive and of these 13 (32%) were seropositive. This study demonstrates that hepatitis B is a problem for the non‐residential mentally handicapped population and confirms the risk of infection to their immediate families.