[Hepatitis B and delta: the prevalence of seroepidemiological markers in volunteer blood donors and their families].

41 volunteer blood donors and his relatives were studied in order to know about the prevalence of hepatitis B and D virus infections in selected groups. Frequency of HBsAg+ carriers was 0.34 per cent in the Centro Nacional de la Transfusión Sanguínea and 0.15 per cent in the Banco Central de Sangre, IMSS. Most of the HBsAg+ blood donors were 21 to 40 years old (87.8%); 21.9 per cent had IgM antibodies against HBc and just 2.4 per cent were HBeAg positive. Forty one (26.9%) of 152 relatives had one or more of the HBV markers, 3.9 per cent were HBsAg carriers and 1.3 per cent were HBeAg positive. In the infected relatives group 36.6 per cent were ancestory or brothers and just 14.6 per cent of wives were infected. None of the HBsAg+ blood donors or his relatives had antibodies against delta agent. These results support the fact that the frequency of asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg in the volunteer blood donors group is similar to he frequency in the general population and identifies the group of relatives as those with the highest risk to acquire HBV infection.