Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8bljj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-19T21:47:21.854Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Potential risk of salivary-mediated viral hepatitis type B transmission from oral exposure to fomites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

M. T. Osterholm ,
B. J. Max ,
M. Hanson  and
H. F. Polesky
M. T. Osterholm
Affiliation:
Minnesota Department of Health and School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440, U.S.A.
B. J. Max
Affiliation:
Gaylord Public Schools, Gaylord, Minnesota 55334, U.S.A.
M. Hanson
Affiliation:
Minneapolis War Memorial Blood Bank, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55416, U.S.A.
H. F. Polesky
Affiliation:
Minneapolis War Memorial Blood Bank, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55416, U.S.A.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Twelve grade school and junior high school students had oral exposures to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive saliva via contact with contaminated musical instruments. The 12 exposed students and 18 students who served as age and sex matched controls were tested for the presence of HBsAg and antibody to the hepatitis surface antigen (anti-HBs) at 2 weeks, 8 weeks and 6 months after exposure. All students were negative for HBsAg and anti-HBs on all dates tested and reported no illness during that time suggestive of viral hepatitis. There was no evidence of viral hepatitis, type B transmission from the exposure. The students probably experienced the maximum possible oral exposure from direct or fomites contact, since there was no cleaning of the musical instruments between use by the students and teacher. Based on these results, the risk of transmission of viral hepatitis, type B from oral contact with fomites is unlikely.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 83 , Issue 3 , December 1979 , pp. 487 - 490
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

References

Alter, H. J., Purcell, R. H., Gerin, J. L., London, W. T., Kaplan, P. M., Mcauliffe, V. J., Wagner, J. & Holland, P. V. (1977). Transmission of hepatitis B to chimpanzees by hepatitis B surface antigen-positive saliva and semen. Infection and Immunity 16, 928–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bancroft, W. H., Snitbahn, R., Scott, R. M., Tingpalapong, M., Watson, W. T., Tanticharoenyos, P., Karwacki, J. J. & Srimarut, S. (1977). Transmission of hepatitis B virus to gibbons by exposure to saliva containing hepatitis B surface antigen. Journal of Infectious Diseases 135, 79–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feinman, S. V., Krassnitski, O., Sinclair, J. C., Wrobel, D. M. & Berris, B. (1975). Hepatitis B surface antigen in saliva of HBsAg carriers. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 85, 1042–8.Google Scholar
Gerin, J. L., Ford, E. C. & Purcell, R. H. (1975). Biochemical characterization of Australia antigen. Evidence for defective particles of hepatitis B virus. American Journal of Pathology 81, 651–68.Google ScholarPubMed
Heathcote, J., Cameron, C. H. & Dane, D. S. (1974). Hepatitis B antigen in saliva and semen. Lancet i, 71–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Irwin, G. R., Allen, A. M., Bancroft, W. H., Karwacki, J. J., Brown, H. L., Pinkerton, R. H., Willhight, M. & Top, F. H. JR. (1975). Hepatitis B antigen in saliva, urine and stool. Infection and Immunity, 11, 142–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kistler, G. S., Sonnabend, W. & Krech, V. (1973). Hepatitis B antigen (HB-Ag; Australia antigen) in mixed saliva of patients with HB antigenaemia. Pathologia et microbiologia 39, 313–8.Google Scholar
Macquarrie, M. D., Forghani, B. & Wolochow, D. A. (1974). Hepatitis B transmitted by a human bite. Journal of the American Medical Association 230, 723–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orga, P. (1973). Immunologic aspects of hepatitis-associated antigen and antibody in human body fluids. Journal of Immunology 110, 1197–205.Google Scholar
Purcell, R. H. & Gerin, J. L. (1975). Hepatitis B subunit vaccine. A preliminary report of safety and efficacy tests in chimpanzees. American Journal of Medical Science 270, 395–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Trepo, C. G., Magnius, L. O., Schaefer, R. A. & Prince, A. M. (1976). Detection of e antigen and antibody; Correlations with hepatitis B surface and hepatitis B core antigens, liver disease, and outcome in hepatitis B infections. Gastroenterology 71, 804–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Villarejos, V. M., Kirsten, P. H., Visona, M. S., Gutierrez, D. & Rodriguez, A. (1974). Role of saliva, urine and feces in transmission of type B hepatitis. New England Journal of Medicine 291, 1375–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ward, R., Borchert, P., Wright, A. & Kline, E. (1972). Hepatitis B antigen in saliva and mouth washings. Lancet ii, 726–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization (1977). Advances in viral hepatitis. Technical Report Series 602, p. 29.Google Scholar