The seroprevalence of hepatitis B was investigated in over 12.000 subjects in six countries of Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela. Each study population was stratified according to age, gender and socioeconomic status. Antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were measured in order to determine hepatitis B infection. The highest overall seroprevalence was found in the Dominican Republic (21.4 por ciento), followed by Brazil (7,9 por ciento), Venezuela (3,2 por ciento), Argentina (2,1 por ciento), Mexico (1,4 por ciento) and Chile (0,6 por ciento). In all the countries an increase in seroprevalence was found among persons 16 years old and older, suggesting sexual transmission as the major route of infection. In addition, comparatively high seroprevalence levels were seen at an early age in the Dominican Republic and Brazil, implicating a vertical route of transmission

Rev Panam Salud Publica;6(6),dic. 1999

Hepatite B; Anticorpos Anti-Hepatite B; Doenças Virais Sexualmente Transmissíveis; Transmissão Vertical de Doença Infecciosa; Argentina; Brasil; Chile; Mexico; República Dominicana; Venezuela

Silveira, Thêmis R,Fonseca, José Carlos da,Rivera, Luis,Fay, Oscar H,Tapia, Roberto,Santos, José I,Urdeneta, Eduardo,Costa Clemens, Sue Ann (1999) Hepatitis B seroprevalence in Latin America. Rev Panam Salud Publica;6(6) -,dic. 1999. Retrieved from http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49891999001100002&lng=pt&nrm=iso