ABSTRACT
Sera from 269 Hmong people (102 males and 167 females, with mean age 35.4 years, range 16-63 years) were examined in order to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis virus infection. The seroprevalence rates for HAV (hepatitis A virus), HBV (hepatitis B virus), HCV (hepatitis C virus), HDV (hepatitis D virus), HEV (hepatitis E virus), HGV (hepatitis G virus) and TTV (TT virus) infection were 87.8% (n=140), 76.0% (n=150), 2.0% (n=150), 0.7% (n=150), 6.5% (n=139), 5.3% (n=94) and 25.6% (n=121) respectively. The rate for carriers of HBV (HBsAg) was 13.8% (20.5% in males and 9.6% females) with a peak prevalence in the 21-40 year age group. A high rate of HAV seropositivity was found among the younger subjects. The rate of HEV seroprevalence was low. The prevalence of TTV-DNA was high with no difference between the sexes. HGV-RNA prevalence was low and seen primarily in males. This study indicates that the Hmong people are endemically infected with HAV and HBV infection and should be considered for targeted vaccination. The role of TTV and HGV in producing illness and hepatic disease has yet to be determined in this population.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Carrier State/ethnology , Child , DNA, Viral/analysis , Endemic Diseases/prevention & control , Female , GB virus C/genetics , Hepacivirus/genetics , Hepatitis A virus/genetics , Hepatitis B virus/genetics , Hepatitis Viruses/genetics , Hepatitis, Viral, Human/ethnology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Population Surveillance , Prevalence , RNA, Viral/analysis , Risk Factors , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Sex Distribution , Thailand/epidemiology , Torque teno virus/genetics , VaccinationABSTRACT
Tibetans have been living in Nepal since 1959. Study of the prevalence of viral hepatitis among them showed that they have a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Prevalence of total HBV infection and Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among them was 61% and 16% compared to 10.0% and 0.7% respectively among the Nepalese. The predominant HBsAg subtype among the Tibetans was 'ayw'. Perinatal and childhood transmission was found important in the spread of HBV infection among the Tibetans.
Subject(s)
Carrier State/ethnology , Female , Hepatitis B/ethnology , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/analysis , Humans , Male , Nepal/epidemiology , Tibet/ethnologyABSTRACT
The carrier rate of Group A Streptococcus (GAS) was studied amongst 932 children from 1+ upto 12 years of age in three major racial groups in the foothills of the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It was altogether 13 per cent and was found to be evenly distributed in the three ethnic groups as Gurkhas: 11 per cent, Rajbanshis: 15 per cent and Cosmopolitans: 13 per cent, but the incidence of Rheumatic fever and/or Rheumatic heart diseases were unnoticed among the Gurkha children who also had significant low ASO titres.