Linked Life Data

8801290

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/8801290

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1996-10-1
pubmed:abstractText
The seroprevalences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers were evaluated in a random sample of 803 children attending school in Ashanti-Akim North district in Ghana in order to gain a better understanding of transmission patterns of these viruses, particularly horizontal transmission of HBV. This rural district is typical of 70% of the Ghanaian population. The overall seroprevalence of at least one marker of HBV infection was 61.2%, with rates increasing from 48% to 80% between the ages of 6-18 years (P < 0.001). The overall HBsAg seroprevalence was 15.8%, with the proportion of HBsAg positives amongst those with anti-HBc increasing from 39.3% in 6-7-year-olds to 51.8% in 12-13-year-olds. It appears that horizontal transmission during this age period was accompanied by a high rate of HBsAg carriage. Among those infected but not carriers, i.e., those HBsAg negative and anti-HBc positive, > 50% lacked detectable levels of anti-HBs, an unusual pattern of convalescent immune response to HBV. The overall seroprevalence of anti-HCV was 5.4% and did not differ significantly by age or gender. Anti-HCV seroprevalence was not associated with the presence of any HBV marker. A better understanding of the unusually high prevalences of HBV and HCV infections demonstrated in this population is likely to influence vaccination and blood transfusion policies and to stimulate further evaluations of these infections and their vehicles of spread in highly endemic regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0146-6615
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
48
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
278-83
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1996
pubmed:articleTitle
Seroepidemiological survey of hepatitis B and C virus infections in Ghanaian children.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7400, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't