The low risk of hepatitis B in rural hospitals. Results of a seroepidemiologic survey
J. R. Harris, R. F. Finger, J. M. Kobayashi, S. C. Hadler, B. L. Murphy, R. L. Berkelman and K. E. Bussell
To determine the risk of hepatitis B virus infection for rural hospital
employees, we obtained serum and a completed questionnaire from each of
2,064 employees of 11 rural hospitals. Only 96 (4.7%) employees had
hepatitis B virus markers. Increased marker prevalence was significantly
associated with prior residence in a city with a population of greater than
100,000 (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 5.2) and
increasing blood contact (odds ratio, 1.6; confidence interval, 1.2 to
2.3); however, the association with blood contact was not significant when
we limited analysis to the 836 employees who had never lived in a city. We
conclude that the risk of hepatitis B virus infection for these rural
hospital employees is low, probably because the incidence of hepatitis B in
rural areas is low.
