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A severe and explosive outbreak of hepatitis B in a rural population in Sirsa district, Haryana, India: unnecessary therapeutic injections were a major risk factor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2001

J. SINGH ,
S. GUPTA ,
S. KHARE ,
R. BHATIA ,
D. C. JAIN  and
J. SOKHEY
J. SINGH
Affiliation:
National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 22 Shamnath Marg, Delhi-110054, India
S. GUPTA
Affiliation:
National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 22 Shamnath Marg, Delhi-110054, India
S. KHARE
Affiliation:
National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 22 Shamnath Marg, Delhi-110054, India
R. BHATIA
Affiliation:
National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 22 Shamnath Marg, Delhi-110054, India
D. C. JAIN
Affiliation:
National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 22 Shamnath Marg, Delhi-110054, India
J. SOKHEY
Affiliation:
National Institute of Communicable Diseases, 22 Shamnath Marg, Delhi-110054, India
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Abstract

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Most outbreaks of viral hepatitis in India are caused by hepatitis E. This report describes an outbreak of hepatitis B in a rural population in Haryana state in 1997. At least 54 cases of jaundice occurred in Dhottar village (population 3096) during a period of 8 months; 18 (33·3%) of them died. Virtually all fatal cases were adults and tested positive for HBsAg (other markers not done). About 88% (21/24) of surviving cases had acute or persistent HBV/HCV infections; 54% (13/24) had acute hepatitis B. Many other villages reported sporadic cases and deaths. Data were pooled from these villages for analysis of risk factors. Acute hepatitis B cases had received injections before illness more frequently (11/19) than those found negative for acute or persistent HBV/HCV infections (3/17) (P = 0·01). Although a few cases had other risk factors, these were equally prevalent in two groups. The results linked the outbreak to the use of unnecessary therapeutic injections.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 125 , Issue 3 , December 2000 , pp. 693 - 699
Copyright
2000 Cambridge University Press