— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
Despite low viral loads and inactive infections, HBV-infected people
can still infect family members, according to a 10-year study from
Turkey, published in the journal of Clinical Molecular Hepatology.
Researchers studied HBV status of 438 inactive
HBsAg carriers and their families. The HBsAg-positive rate was 34.6% in
625 family members of 334 patients. Surprisingly, infection rates were
higher in family members of hepatitis B patients with undetectable HBV
DNA than among family members of patients with detectable HBV DNA.
"The HBsAg positivity rate was higher in family
members of inactive HBsAg carriers than in the general population, "
researchers wrote. "... these family members therefore have a higher
risk of HBV transmission. Furthermore, despite negative HBV DNA levels,
transmission risk was not reduced in these patients, and horizontal
transmission seems to be independent of the HBV DNA value."
Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24757659
HBV Journal Review — June 1, 2014, Vol 11, no 6
Labels: transmission and prevention
