A STUDY OF VIRAL HEPATITIS IN A PENAL INSTITUTION*

doi:10.1059/0003-4819-49-5-1162

A STUDY OF VIRAL HEPATITIS IN A PENAL INSTITUTION*

IRWIN A. SCHAFER, M.D.
Boston, Massachusetts
; and
JAMES W. MOSLEY, M.D.
Atlanta, Georgia

Requests for reprints should be addressed to James W. Mosley, M.D., Chief, Hepatitis Unit, Epidemiology Branch, Communicable Disease Center,
50 Seventh Street, Northeast, Atlanta 23, Georgia
.

Excerpt

The occurrence of viral hepatitis in institutions of various types is well known and has been reported previously.¹ The present report concerns a study of viral hepatitis in a penal institution carried out during an 11-month period. From the epidemiologic evidence obtained it is believed that parenteral transmission was of significance in the behavior of the disease during the period considered, and that the hepatitis was predominantly due to the serum (B) type rather than to the infectious (A) type. Since prison populations are not infrequently utilized as donor sources by agencies conducting blood-collection programs, it is important to consider

This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.

Summario in Interlingua

In un institution penitentiari in que hepatitis virusal habeva devenite prevalente durante le previe duo annos, un studio del comportamento epidemiologic del morbo esseva effectuate. Esseva observate 45 casos—39 icteric, sex anicteric—durante un periodo de 11 menses. Le datos clinic e laboratorial esseva de accordo con le diagnose. Confirmation pathologic esseva obtenite in un del casos. Duo casos se terminava in exito mortal.

Esseva constatate que 42 del 45 patientes habeva recipite in le curso del precedente sex menses immunisation routinari, injection de un medication, labor de dentista, tatuage, o administration illicite de drogas. Vinti-un habeva definite signos de acupunctura, incluse duo del tres sin historia de intervention de ulle del supra-listate typos. Es opinate, per consequente, que inoculation parenteral accidental esseva le methodo le plus significative de transmission.

Intra un periodo de septe menses, 22 casos del morbo occurreva in un gruppo de 95 residentes de tres dormitorios in que drogas esseva cognoscitemente in uso. In plus, le investigation de duo dormitorios revelava un correlation positive de hepatomegalia, sensibilitate hepatic, e bilirubinemia con signos physic de acupunctura. Isto justifica le conjectura que le infection esseva plus general que lo que esseva evidente ab le numero del casos.

Le datos epidemiologic suggere que le hepatitis in iste institution esseva predominantemente del typo seral plus tosto que del typo infectiose. Iste observationes debe esser prendite in consideration quando residentes de institutiones penitentiari es usate como donatores de sanguine.

Article and Author Information

↵* Received for publication March 4, 1958.
From the Hepatitis Investigations Unit, Epidemiology Branch, Communicable Disease Center, Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.