E. Boxall et al., THE PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-B AND HEPATITIS-C IN AN ANTENATAL POPULATION OF VARIOUS ETHNIC-ORIGINS, Epidemiology and infection, 113(3), 1994, pp. 523-528
A total of 3522 samples of serum, collected anonymously from women att
ending an antenatal clinic, was tested for hepatitis B surface antigen
and antibody to hepatitis C. The prevalence of anti-HCV was low; only
five confirmed positives were found (0.14%). The prevalence of hepati
tis B overall was 0.56%, but was 1.04% in women from immigrant groups.
Hepatitis B carriage is therefore four times more common than hepatit
is C carriage in the antenatal population comprised of various ethnic
origins. The patterns of infection in the two viruses are reversed, he
patitis B being more common in Asian, S.E. asian and West Indian mothe
rs and hepatitis C Toeing more common in mothers of white Caucasian or
igin. Routine antenatal screening for anti-HCV is discussed.