ABSTRACT
In order to estimate the relative importance of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B in rural Bangladesh a cross-sectional study was carried out. Paired-serum samples of infants aged 2-8 months old, a group of new born, and their mothers were tested for hepatitis B markers using a commercial ELISA test kit. In total, 107 (32.4%) positive for HBcAg, 18 (5.4%) for HBsAg, and 4 (1.2%) for HbeAg. Of the infants, 35 (10.5%) positive for HBcAg, 1 (0.3%) for HBsAg, and none for HBeAg. Of the 18 HBsAg positive mothers, 4 (22%) were HBeAg positive. All 14 children of mothers who were HBeAg negative were negative for HBsAg. Only one out of four (25%) of children of HBeAg positive mothers were HBsAg carriers (8 months old), and in three children transmission did not occur (two 8 months, one 6 months old). This survey indicates that hepatitis B is prevalent in rural Bangladesh and that the perinatal transmission mode may be relatively low.