THE PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-B AND HEPATITIS-C IN AN ANTENATAL POPULATION OF VARIOUS ETHNIC-ORIGINS

A total of 3522 samples of serum, collected anonymously from women attending an antenatal clinic, was tested for hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to hepatitis C. The prevalence of anti-HCV was low; only five confirmed positives were found (0.14%). The prevalence of hepatitis B overall was 0.56%, but was 1.04% in women from immigrant groups. Hepatitis B carriage is therefore four times more common than hepatitis C carriage in the antenatal population comprised of various ethnic origins. The patterns of infection in the two viruses are reversed, hepatitis B being more common in Asian, S.E. asian and West Indian mothers and hepatitis C Toeing more common in mothers of white Caucasian origin. Routine antenatal screening for anti-HCV is discussed.