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VIRAL HEPATITIS A AND B; A SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF A NON‐HEPATITIC SYDNEY POPULATION
Author(s) -
Boughton C. R.,
Hawkes R. A.,
Ferguson V.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1980.tb134743.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatitis b virus , virology , antibody , population , hepatitis b , hepatitis a virus , prevalence , immunology , hepatitis , virus , viral disease , epidemiology , environmental health
The age‐specific prevalence rates of hepatitis A and B virus markers in 683 patients of all ages with non‐hepatitic illnesses admitted to a Sydney hospital over the period from 1971 to 1974 were determined. The pattern of prevalence rates of hepatitis A antibody (anti‐HAV) appeared to be a cumulative one, with steadily increasing rates in patients up to the age of 40 years. Thereafter a large increase in prevalence occurred. In contrast, prevalence rates for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers were fairly uniform for all age groups. Antibody to core antigen (anti‐HB c ) was the most frequent marker of HBV infection. Prevalence rates in subjects of non‐Anglo‐Saxon origin were higher for both HAV and HBV markers.