HBsAg and anti-HBs in staff and patients of a psychopaedic hospital.

One hundred and thirty-eight patients and 248 staff of Templeton Hospital and Training School were examined for hepatitis B surface ant,gen (HBsAg) and antibody (anti-Hbs) during a 14 month period. Sixty percent of the patients showed either HBsAg or anti-HBs. Twelve of 38 Down's syndrome and 10 of 100 intellectually handicapped patients were identified as asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg. Patients from 12 of the 19 residential units were sampled and some patients from all the units sampled had either HBsAg or anti-HBs. Twenty-five staff had detectable anti-HBs. Seventeen of these were psychopaedic nurses, employed in a psychopaedic hospital between three and 39 years (average 11.4 years). Only six of the nurses with anti-HBs had a pase history of hepatitis.