SEROEPIDEMIOLOGY OF HEPATITIS-A AND HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-INFECTION IN A GURKHA COMMUNITY IN SINGAPORE

The overall prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection among the Gurkhas and their families stationed in Singapore was 83.2%, with anti body to HAV detected in 67 (38.1%) of 176 children under 5 years of ag e, 121 (76.6%) of 158 children between 5 and 14 years, and 600 (97.9%) of 613 older children and adults over age 15 years. Children born in Singapore (102/223 or 45.7%) had a significantly lower crude prevalenc e than those born in Nepal (85/110 or 77.3%) (P < 0.000001). The age-a djusted difference in prevalence was also statistically significant (P < 0.001). Susceptible children had a high risk of acquiring HAV infec tion when they travelled to Nepal. As for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infe ction, the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was 2.8%, with a higher rate in males (20/560 or 3.6%) than in females (6/384 o r 1.6%). The highest HBsAg prevalence (4/26 or 15.4%) was in young adu lt Gurkhas 15-19 years of age. No significant difference in the crude prevalence of HBV markers was noted between children born in Singapore (45/224 or 20.1%) and those born in Nepal (19/107 or 17.8%). Even aft er age adjustment, the difference remained insignificant. The prevalen ce of HBV markers of children of seropositive parents (27/156 or 17.3% ) was not significantly higher than that of seronegative parents (19/1 31 or 14.5%). Married men had a significantly higher age-adjusted prev alence of infection than unmarried men (45.4% and 32.4%, respectively; P < 0.05). Seropositivity of one spouse was significantly correlated with the seropositivity of the other (P < 0.05), suggesting a role for heterosexual transmission of HBV infection. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.