Prevalence of immunologic markers of hepatitis A and B infection in hospital personnel in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

Between 1980 and 1983, a total of 1,883 serum samples from employees of four prefectural hospitals in Miyazaki prefecture, Japan were surveyed for antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) and for the following hepatitis B virus markers: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Overall prevalences were 36.9% for anti-HAV, 3.4% for HBsAg, 23.3% for anti-HBs, and 36.6% for anti-HBc. In the control group of 233 healthy persons, prevalences were 51.5% for anti-HAV, 3.0% for HBsAg, 28.3% for anti-HBs, and 33.5% for anti-HBc. No significant difference in the distribution of HBsAg was seen among five work categories. Anti-HBc prevalence was significantly higher in nurses than in office workers (p less than 0.05), other medical personnel (p less than 0.05), and controls (p less than 0.01). The differences between nurses and office workers and other medical personnel became greater with age, but a difference between nurses and the control group was recognized in every age group. A significant difference in the distribution of anti-HBc was seen between surgical physicians (36.7%) and nonsurgical physicians (27.1%). Prevalence of anti-HAV in physicians (32.8%), nurses (29.6%), and laboratory technicians (40.1%) was significantly lower than in the control group (51.5%). These data suggest that in the hospitals studied, hepatitis B is an occupational hazard to nurses and surgical physicians, but that hepatitis A is not.