HEPATITIS-B VIRUS CARRIER PREVALENCE IN NEW-ZEALAND - POPULATION ESTIMATES USING THE 1987 POLICE AND CUSTOMS PERSONNEL SURVEY

Aim. To estimate the population hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) ca rrier prevalence for adults in New Zealand. Method. Data for 1987 from the New Zealand Police Department and New Zealand Customs Department hepatitis B sere-marker survey were further analysed. The sample size was 5510 staff who had completed a questionnaire, had blood sera taken and were not already immunised against hepatitis B. Results. Maori ad ults had a HBsAg carrier prevalence of 5.43% (95% confidence interval 3.07-8.81), Pacific adults 4.44% (1.65-9.42), and European adults 0.42 % (0.26-0.65). Other ethnic minorities and people with two or more sel f-assigned ethnic identities had a carrier prevalence of 3.85% (1.06-9 .56). There were non-significant differences in this study for carrier prevalence by sex, age and region. Conclusions. Policy formation on s creening programmes for hepatitis B carriers should assume a HBSAg car rier prevalence of about 5% for Maori, Pacific people and ethnic minor ities, and about 0.5% for New Zealanders of European extraction.