0
May 19, 1975, Vol 232, No. 7 >
ARTICLE | May 19, 1975

Hepatitis B and the HBsAg Carrier: Title and subTitle BreakAn Outbreak Related to Sexual Contact FREE

Richard A. Wright, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Colorado Department of Health, 4210 E 11th St, Denver, CO 80220 (Dr. Wright).


JAMA. 1975;232(7):717-721. doi:10.1001/jama.1975.03250070013012
Text Size: A A A
Published online
Article
References

Within six months, acute viral hepatitis, type B, developed in three individuals associated with a nursing home in Denver. This attack rate, 1.4 cases per 100 patients and employees, was apparently higher than the reported incidence of hepatitis B in Denver during the same period.

Parenteral inoculations could not be implicated as the means of acquiring hepatitis B. However, two of the hepatitis patients had had sexual contact within six months before their illness with an employee who was an insulindependent diabetic and a symptomatic carrier of HBsAg. In addition, anti-HBs antibodies were detected in his homosexual roommate.

Although the chronic carrier was a food-handler, a seroepidemiologic survey of the employee population showed no spread of HBsAg by means of food or casual contact. Only 1 (4.6%) of 22 employees tested had anti-HBs antibodies.

These results suggest that household and, in particular, sexual contact with a symptomatic HBsAg carrier may be an effective nonparenteral or inapparent parenteral mode of transmitting HBsAg.

(JAMA 232:717-721, 1975)

REFERENCES

1 +
Krugman S, Giles JP, Hammond J:  Infectious hepatitis: Evidence for two distinctive clinical, epidemiological, and immunological types of infection . JAMA 200:365-373, 1967;.
2 +
Blumberg BS, Gerstley BJS, Hungerford DA, et al:  A serum antigen (Australia antigen) in Down's syndrome, leukemia and hepatitis . Ann Intern Med 66:924-931, 1967;.
3 +
Prince AM:  An antigen detected in the blood during the incubation period of serum hepatitis . Proc Natl Acad Sci 60:814-821, 1968;.
4 +
Gocke DJ, Greenberg HB, Kavey NB:  Correlation of Australia antigen with posttransfusion hepatitis . JAMA 212:877-879, 1970;.
5 +
Tripatzis LI:  Australia antigen in urine and feces . Am J Dis Child 123:401-403, 1972;.
6 +
Lander JJ, Alter JH, Purcell RH:  Frequency of antibody to hepatitis-associated antigen as measured by a new radioimmunoassay technique . J Immunol 106:1166-1171, 1971;.
7 +
Prince AM, Hargrove RL, Szmunoss W, et al:  Immunologic distinction between infectious and serum hepatitis . N Engl J Med 282:987-991, 1970;.
8 +
Blumberg BS, Melartin L, Gurnto RH, et al:  Family studies of a human serum isoantigen system (Australia antigen) . Am J Hum Genet 18:594-608, 1966;.
9 +
Blumberg BS, Sutnick AI, London WT:  Hepatitis and leukemia: Their relation to Australia antigen . Bull NY Acad Med 44:1566-1586, 1968;.
10 +
Sutnick AI, London WT, Gerstley BJS, et al:  Anicteric hepatitis associated with Australia antigen: Occurrence in patients with Down's syndrome . JAMA 205:670-674, 1968;.
11 +
Cherubin CE, Purcell RH, Lander JJ, et al:  Acquisition of antibody to hepatitis B antigen in three socioeconomically different medical populations . Lancet 2:144-151, 1972;.
12 +
Heathcote J, Cameron CH, Dane DS:  Hepatitis B antigen in saliva and semen . Lancet 1:71-73, 1974;.
13 +
Liag CM, Overby LR:  Prevalence of hepatitis B virus antigen as revealed by direct radioimmune assay with I-antibody . J Immunol 109:834-841, 1972;.
14 +
Holland PV, Purcell RH, Smith H, et al:  Subtyping of hepatitis-associated antigen (HB Ag): Simplified technique using counter electrophoresis . J Immunol 109:420-425, 1972;.
15 +
Walsh JH, Yallow R, Berson SA:  Detection of Australia antigen and antibody by means of radioimmunoassay techniques . J Infect Dis 121:550-554, 1970;.
16 +
Hersh T, Melnick JL, Goyal RK, et al:  Nonparenteral transmission of viral hepatitis type B (Australia antigen-associated serum hepatitis) . N Engl J Med 285:1363-1364, 1971;.
17 +
Szmuness W, Prince AM, Hirsch RL, et al:  Familial clustering of hepatitis B infection . N Engl J Med 289:1162-1166, 1973;.
18 +
Fulford KWM, Dane DS, Catterall RD, et al:  Australia antigen and antibody among patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases . Lancet 1:1470-1473, 1963;.
19 +
Patterson CP, Maynard JE, Berquist KR, et al:  Serological and epidemiological studies of hepatitis B in haemodialysis units . Lancet 2:172-174, 1973;.
20 +
Singleton JW:  Hepatitis B antigenemia RK . Int Med J 70:37-39, 1973;.
21 +
Dodd RY, Holland PV, Ni LA, et al:  Hepatitis B antigen: Regional variation in incidence and subtype ratio in the American Red Cross donor population . Am J Epidemiol 97:111-115, 1972;.
22 +
Plotz PH, Alter HJ, Holland PY:  Exposure to a food-handler with hepatitis B . Lancet 2:333, 1972;.
23 +
Lander JJ, Holland PV, Alter HJ, et al:  Antibody to hepatitis-associated antigen: Frequency and pattern of response as detected by radioimmunoprecipitation . JAMA 220:1079-1082, 1972;.
24 +
Reinicke V, Dybkgaer E, Poulson H, et al:  A study of Australia-antigen-positive blood donors and their recipients with special reference to liver histology . N Engl J Med 286:867-870, 1972;.
25 +
Mazzur S:  Menstrual blood as a vehicle of Australia-antigen transmission . Lancet 1:749, 1973;.

Figures

Tables

Interactive Graphics

Video

Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
Krugman S, Giles JP, Hammond J:  Infectious hepatitis: Evidence for two distinctive clinical, epidemiological, and immunological types of infection . JAMA 200:365-373, 1967;.
2 +
Blumberg BS, Gerstley BJS, Hungerford DA, et al:  A serum antigen (Australia antigen) in Down's syndrome, leukemia and hepatitis . Ann Intern Med 66:924-931, 1967;.
3 +
Prince AM:  An antigen detected in the blood during the incubation period of serum hepatitis . Proc Natl Acad Sci 60:814-821, 1968;.
4 +
Gocke DJ, Greenberg HB, Kavey NB:  Correlation of Australia antigen with posttransfusion hepatitis . JAMA 212:877-879, 1970;.
5 +
Tripatzis LI:  Australia antigen in urine and feces . Am J Dis Child 123:401-403, 1972;.
6 +
Lander JJ, Alter JH, Purcell RH:  Frequency of antibody to hepatitis-associated antigen as measured by a new radioimmunoassay technique . J Immunol 106:1166-1171, 1971;.
7 +
Prince AM, Hargrove RL, Szmunoss W, et al:  Immunologic distinction between infectious and serum hepatitis . N Engl J Med 282:987-991, 1970;.
8 +
Blumberg BS, Melartin L, Gurnto RH, et al:  Family studies of a human serum isoantigen system (Australia antigen) . Am J Hum Genet 18:594-608, 1966;.
9 +
Blumberg BS, Sutnick AI, London WT:  Hepatitis and leukemia: Their relation to Australia antigen . Bull NY Acad Med 44:1566-1586, 1968;.
10 +
Sutnick AI, London WT, Gerstley BJS, et al:  Anicteric hepatitis associated with Australia antigen: Occurrence in patients with Down's syndrome . JAMA 205:670-674, 1968;.
11 +
Cherubin CE, Purcell RH, Lander JJ, et al:  Acquisition of antibody to hepatitis B antigen in three socioeconomically different medical populations . Lancet 2:144-151, 1972;.
12 +
Heathcote J, Cameron CH, Dane DS:  Hepatitis B antigen in saliva and semen . Lancet 1:71-73, 1974;.
13 +
Liag CM, Overby LR:  Prevalence of hepatitis B virus antigen as revealed by direct radioimmune assay with I-antibody . J Immunol 109:834-841, 1972;.
14 +
Holland PV, Purcell RH, Smith H, et al:  Subtyping of hepatitis-associated antigen (HB Ag): Simplified technique using counter electrophoresis . J Immunol 109:420-425, 1972;.
15 +
Walsh JH, Yallow R, Berson SA:  Detection of Australia antigen and antibody by means of radioimmunoassay techniques . J Infect Dis 121:550-554, 1970;.
16 +
Hersh T, Melnick JL, Goyal RK, et al:  Nonparenteral transmission of viral hepatitis type B (Australia antigen-associated serum hepatitis) . N Engl J Med 285:1363-1364, 1971;.
17 +
Szmuness W, Prince AM, Hirsch RL, et al:  Familial clustering of hepatitis B infection . N Engl J Med 289:1162-1166, 1973;.
18 +
Fulford KWM, Dane DS, Catterall RD, et al:  Australia antigen and antibody among patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases . Lancet 1:1470-1473, 1963;.
19 +
Patterson CP, Maynard JE, Berquist KR, et al:  Serological and epidemiological studies of hepatitis B in haemodialysis units . Lancet 2:172-174, 1973;.
20 +
Singleton JW:  Hepatitis B antigenemia RK . Int Med J 70:37-39, 1973;.
21 +
Dodd RY, Holland PV, Ni LA, et al:  Hepatitis B antigen: Regional variation in incidence and subtype ratio in the American Red Cross donor population . Am J Epidemiol 97:111-115, 1972;.
22 +
Plotz PH, Alter HJ, Holland PY:  Exposure to a food-handler with hepatitis B . Lancet 2:333, 1972;.
23 +
Lander JJ, Holland PV, Alter HJ, et al:  Antibody to hepatitis-associated antigen: Frequency and pattern of response as detected by radioimmunoprecipitation . JAMA 220:1079-1082, 1972;.
24 +
Reinicke V, Dybkgaer E, Poulson H, et al:  A study of Australia-antigen-positive blood donors and their recipients with special reference to liver histology . N Engl J Med 286:867-870, 1972;.
25 +
Mazzur S:  Menstrual blood as a vehicle of Australia-antigen transmission . Lancet 1:749, 1973;.

Letters

Submit a Letter
CME Course for:


You need to register in order to view this quiz.


To understand the clinical management of acute heart failure syndromes.
Accreditation Information The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The AMA designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM per course. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Physicians who complete the CME course and score at least 80% correct on the quiz are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM.
Note: You must get at least of the answers correct to pass this quiz.
Note: You must get at least of the answers correct to pass this quiz.
You have not filled in all the answers to complete this quiz
The following questions were not answered:
Sorry, you have unsuccessfully completed this CME quiz with a score of
The following questions were not answered correctly:
For CME Course: A Proposed Model for Initial Assessment and Management of Acute Heart Failure Syndromes
Indicate what changes(s) you will implement in your practice, if any, based on this CME course.
To view and print your certificate and access a summary of your CME courses go to My CME.
NOTE:
Citing articles are presented as examples only. In non-demo SCM6 implementation, integration with CrossRef’s “Cited By” API will populate this tab (http://www.crossref.org/citedby.html).
Compression-Only CPR: Pushing the Science Forward
Cone
AAM 2010;304:1493-1495.
All you need to read in the other general journals
BMJ 2010;341:c5893-c1494.
Submit a Response

Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.

Related Content

Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.

© 2012 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
Powered bySilverchair Information Systems