Seroepidemiology of infection with hepatitis B virus in Fiji

Abstract

A batch of 984 sera obtained from a stratified sample of Melanesians and Indians living in rural and urban areas of Fiji in 1981 were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatttis B core antigen (antiHBc) by solid phase radioimmunoassay. The prevalence of hepatitis B infection (as measured by the sum of HBsAg and anti-HBc frequencies of HBsAg negative sera in the two groups) was 81.5% and 17.9% respectively. No major differences were detected between urban and rural populations. Whlle hepatttls B virus is endemic in Melanesians and Indians, the epidemiology of the infection shows certain differences. Among Melanesians, infection appears to be acquired early in life..