An epidemiological study of viral hepatitis type B in Taichung, Taiwan based on detection of HBc antibody.

The city of Taichung (Taiwan) can be considered as one of the areas contaminated by HB virus. Using, as a control group, the population of three districts in Japan, i.e. 2,820 residents of the cities of Kumayama (Okayama prefecture), Bizen (Okayama prefecture), and Aki (Kochi prefecture), the extent of this problem was investigated by reference to HB antigens detected in 350 patients who presented at the Taichung hospital. The Taichung detection rates for HBs antigen, HBs antibody and HBc-antibody were 20.3%, 45.3%, and 96.9% respectively. In contrast to this, the results for the Japanese control areas were, in order, 1.2-2.9%, 14.3-22.2%, and 28.6-94.3%. The HBs antigen subtype in Taichung was predominantly adw (87.3%) rather than adr. It became clear that Taichung is, indeed, an area heavily contaminated with HB virus and, at the same time, that the number of patients with viral hepatitis type B is large.