Epidemiological study on children infected with HBV in Jiangsu Province

Objective To understand the distribution of hepatitis B virus(HBV) HBsAg-carriedsituation,genotype,serotype among children,and discuss the source of infection. Methods By multistage stratified random cluster sampling method,7367 children born after 1992 were selected in four counties of Jiangsu Province.The HBsAg-positives were screened out by ELISA and their mothers' blood samples were taken for investigating the source of infection.HBsAg gene sequence was amplified and sequenced by nested-PCR.Results The total rate of HBsAg-positive among 7367 children was 1.8%.Fifty-two lines were genotype C and 50 lines were serotype adr.Variable sites were not found in "a" cluster decision.Conclusion The majority of children infected with HBV is genotype C or serotype adr. The main source for children to infect HBV is HBV positive mother.