-transparent.png){kind=logo}
Roughly 15% of black children in rural areas of southern Africa are carriers of the hepatitis B virus. The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus infection among urban black children born and growing up in Soweto. A total of 2364 children were studied, ranging in age from 3 to 19 years, and of these, 1319 (56%) were girls. The children were drawn from the highest and the lowest socioeconomic classes. Serum samples were tested for all hepatitis B virus markers as well as IgG antibody against hepatitis A virus. HBsAg was detected in 23 (0.97%) of the children, anti-HBc and anti-HBs together in 155 (6.6%), anti-HBc alone in 17 (0.7%), and anti-HBs alone in 72 (3%). Of the 2364 children, 2097 (88.5%) were negative for all hepatitis B virus markers. IgG antibody to hepatitis A virus was present in 175 (97%) of a sample of 179 children. There was no difference in prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers between children from the upper and lower socioeconomic classes. HBsAg was more common in boys (16 out of 1043 (1.5%) than girls (seven out of 1321 (0.57%), and the prevalence of all hepatitis B virus markers increased with age. The youngest carrier of hepatitis B virus was 7 years old. The remarkable difference in the hepatitis B virus carrier rate between urban and rural black children offers a unique opportunity to investigate the favourable influences operating in an urban environment to limit the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection.
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
July 1987,
Journal of medical virology,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
July 2019,
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
January 1982,
Journal of medical virology,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
December 1986,
Gaoxiong yi xue ke xue za zhi = The Kaohsiung journal of medical sciences,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
March 2015,
Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
June 2003,
Radiation research,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
January 2001,
Asian American and Pacific Islander journal of health,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
January 2020,
Journal of global infectious diseases,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
June 2011,
Journal of medical primatology,
A M Dibisceglie, and
M C Kew, and
G M Dusheiko, and
E L Berger, and
E Song, and
A C Paterson, and
H J Hodkinson
September 2014,
Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
