Abstract
Hepatitis B virus infection is common in institutions caring for the mentally handicapped. Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus share routes of transmission but the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in this population is unknown. We have tested 101 patients from two institutions in South-East England caring for adults with mental handicap for the presence of hepatitis C antibody, hepatitis B core antibody, and if necessary hepatitis B surface antigen. None tested positive for hepatitis C antibody, but 43 had hepatitis B core antibody of whom 14 were chronic carriers positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. Unlike hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus infection appears to be uncommon in UK institutions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 401-402 |
| Number of pages | 0 |
| Journal | J R Soc Med |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 1996 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Cross Infection
- England
- Female
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Humans
- Intellectual Disability
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Prevalence
