PREVALENCE OF HBSAG-CARRIERS IN PREGNANT-WOMEN IN JERUSALEM - RISK FOR HORIZONTAL TRANSMISSION TO FAMILY MEMBERS

A prospective study was undertaken in Jerusalem to quantitate the HBsA g prevalence rate in pregnant women, to assess the effect of ethnic or igin on HBsAg prevalence rates, and to determine the impact of HBsAg c arrier state on hepatitis B virus horizontal transmission in the famil y. Of the 6,572 women screened at the time of delivery, 42 (0.64%) wer e found to be HBsAg positive. Although the percentage of Moslem women was 3.4% of the total study population, they accounted for 23.8% of th e HBsAg positive mothers. This resulted in a prevalence rate of 4.48% as compared to only 0.5% in the Jewish population (P < 0.01). Nine per cent of siblings born to HBsAg positive mothers and 29% of the husband s were found to be horizontally infected.