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Document ID (ISN)74184
CIS number 99-2070
ISSN - Serial title 0025-7818 - Medicina del lavoro
Year 1998
Convention or series no.
Author(s) Arvanitidou M., Constantinidis T.C., Doutsos J., Mandraveli K., Katsouyannopoulos V.
Title Occupational hepatitis B virus infection in sewage workers
Bibliographic information Sep.-Oct. 1998, Vol.89, No.5, p.437-444. 11 ref.
Abstract In this cross-sectional study the employees of a Greek sewage company were tested for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers - HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc - to determine the prevalence of HBV infection, assess the risk of exposed sewage workers becoming infected, and to evaluate the necessity for appropriate vaccination. The overall prevalence of HBV markers was 43.9%, and 6.6% of the employees were HBsAg carriers. The prevalence of past and current infection was significantly associated with exposure to sewage, with age, and with educational level, but only exposure to sewage was independently associated with positivity for HBV infection. Workers exposed to sewage should therefore be considered for vaccination against hepatitis B. Topics: antibodies; cross-sectional study; determination in blood; exposure evaluation; exposure tests; immunization; infectious hepatitis; sanitation services; sewage; vaccination; work in sewers.
Descriptors (primary) infectious hepatitis; sewage; work in sewers; immunization; sanitation services
Descriptors (secondary) antibodies; exposure evaluation; exposure tests; vaccination; determination in blood; cross-sectional study
Document type D - Periodical articles
Country / State or ProvinceGreece
Subject(s) Commerce, services, offices
Broad subject area(s) Biological hazards
Browse category(ies) Liver diseases
Viral diseases (other than aids)
Water and sanitation services
Confined spaces
Bacterial and parasitic diseases