[Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and determination of its subtypes in the Central African Republic].

To contribute to the epidemiology of hepatitis B, the authors report the results of a survey made in Bangui. This survey was performed on patients hospitalized in the department of medicine of the University Hospital. Some of the patients had a clinically typical hepatitis. HBsAg prevalence was 15.4%. The subtypes detected were: ay (8%), ayw2 (4%), ayw4 (88%). Those data are compared with other data obtained through medical publications in Central Africa.