Hepatitis B Seroprevalence Study 1999.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11811609&dopt=Abstract

 
Singapore Med J 2001 Sep;42(9):420-4 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

Hepatitis B Seroprevalence Study 1999.

James L, Fong CW, Foong BH, Wee MK, Chow A, Shum E, Chew SK.

Communicable Diseases Branch, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, Singapore. Lyn_JAMES@moh.gov.sg

Hepatitis B is a disease of public health importance in Singapore. A study was conducted in 1999 to estimate the overall and gender-, age- and ethnic-specific prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen in the Singapore population. A cross-sectional sample of the Singapore population constituting 4,698 Singapore residents aged 18-69 years was surveyed. This was the first time a large-scale study has been conducted to assess the hepatitis B seroprevalence rates in the Singapore population. The overall prevalence of the HBsAg in the general population was estimated to be about 4%. About 13% of the HBsAg carriers were also HBeAg positive. Only about 40% of the population had immunity to hepatitis B virus either through immunisation or from previous exposure to the virus.There was still a large proportion (60%) of the population who had no immunity, especially the younger age group of 18-29 years where only 28% had immunity.There is a need to strengthen the hepatitis B immunisation programme to reach out to those who have no immunity, especially the young adults.

PMID: 11811609 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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