The positive rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Korea was reported to be ranging from five to eleven per cent by the age composition, residential area of the group examined and by the method of study.
As for the children, the positive rates reported were 4.5% (Kwon et al, 1977; of the pediatric patients hospitalized due to illnesses other than hepatic diseases), 4.2/0, 4.8% (Hong et al, 1979 and Jeon et al, 1983), 5.8% in farm villages and 2.9% in urban area (Kim et al, 1986).
To grasp the rate and nature of hepatitis B virus infection in rural area of this country, authors examined 474 children in two elementary school and one middle school located in relatively isolated, remote agricultural district of the HBsAg and anti-HBs positive rates.
The summary is as follows:
1. The overall positive rates of HBsAg and anti-HBs were 5.9% and 9.7% respectively.
2. While the positive rate of HBsAg didn´t show the tendency to increase with age, that of anti-HBs did.
3. In age group below 14, the HBsAg positive rate was higher in girls than in boys but in 15 to 17 age group, the higher positive rate was noted among boys. Anti-HBs positive rate was higher in males throughout all age groups.
4. Since remarkably higher positive rates (both HBsAg and anti-HBs) were observed in certain villages, school or even in specific classes, one could conjecture that the source of infection was in those specific community and transmitted through close
i bodily contact between the children in, to and from the school.
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