Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) logoLink to British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
. 1987 Feb 28;294(6571):537–540. doi: 10.1136/bmj.294.6571.537

Hepatitis B, tropical ulcers, and immunisation strategy in Kiribati.

C J Tibbs
PMCID: PMC1245576  PMID: 3103763

Abstract

The seroepidemiology of hepatitis B was studied in Kiribati (formerly the Gilbert Islands). Six hundred and two (98%) of the population studied showed evidence of current or previous infection. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen was 31% (188/615) and of the e antigen was 9% (58/615). Infection was acquired early in life, and the prevalence of both antigens declined with age. The rates of infection were similar in all age groups examined (0-70) including early childhood. Both hepatitis B surface antigen and e antigen were detected in exudates from tropical ulcers, which may be a source of environmental hepatitis B. Concordance of antigen presence was higher in pairs of siblings than in mother-child pairs. All Gilbertese children should receive hepatitis B vaccine at birth or soon after if the long term consequences of hepatitis B infection are to be minimised.

Full text

PDF
537

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beasley R. P., Trepo C., Stevens C. E., Szmuness W. The e antigen and vertical transmission of hepatitis B surface antigen. Am J Epidemiol. 1977 Feb;105(2):94–98. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112370. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Botha J. F., Ritchie M. J., Dusheiko G. M., Mouton H. W., Kew M. C. Hepatitis B virus carrier state in black children in Ovamboland: role of perinatal and horizontal infection. Lancet. 1984 Jun 2;1(8388):1210–1212. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91694-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gust I. D., Dimitrakakis M., Bott F., Zimmet P. Studies on hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody in Nauru. II. Distribution amongst Gilbert and Ellice (Tuvalu) islanders. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1978 Nov;27(6):1206–1209. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1978.27.1206. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gust I. D., Dimitrakakis M., Zimmet P. Studies on hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody in Nauru. I. Distribution amongst Nauruans. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1978 Sep;27(5):1030–1036. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1978.27.1030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Karayiannis P., Novick D. M., Lok A. S., Fowler M. J., Monjardino J., Thomas H. C. Hepatitis B virus DNA in saliva, urine, and seminal fluid of carriers of hepatitis B e antigen. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985 Jun 22;290(6485):1853–1855. doi: 10.1136/bmj.290.6485.1853. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. King H., Taylor R., Zimmet P., Pargeter K., Raper L. R., Beriki T., Tekanene J. Non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) in a newly independent Pacific nation: the Republic of Kiribati. Diabetes Care. 1984 Sep-Oct;7(5):409–415. doi: 10.2337/diacare.7.5.409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mazzur S., Bastiaans M. J., Nath N. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among children and adults in the Solomon Islands. Am J Epidemiol. 1981 May;113(5):510–519. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113126. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Simmons G. C., Yeong M. L., Lee S. P. The association of hepatitis B viral infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in New Zealand. N Z Med J. 1983 Sep 14;96(739):669–671. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Whittle H. C., Bradley A. K., McLauchlan K., Ajdukiewicz A. B., Howard C. R., Zuckerman A. J., McGregor I. A. Hepatitis B virus infection in two Gambian villages. Lancet. 1983 May 28;1(8335):1203–1206. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)92477-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Williamson H. G., Gust I. D., Dimitrakakis M., Liu S. Q., Taylor R., Whitmore J., Nemaia H. T., Nemaia J. Serological markers of hepatitis B infection in Niue children. N Z Med J. 1985 Apr 24;98(777):275–277. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Zhuang H., Coulepis A. G., Gust I. D., Zimmet P., Taylor R., Nemaia H. T. A cross sectional study of markers of hepatitis B infection in Niue. N Z Med J. 1983 May 11;96(731):330–332. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Zuckerman A. J. Primary hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis B virus. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1982;76(6):711–718. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(82)90088-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Zuckerman A. J. Priorities for immunisation against hepatitis B. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Mar 6;284(6317):686–688. doi: 10.1136/bmj.284.6317.686. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.) are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES