Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift
Volume 130, Issue 48, 2005, Pages 2753-2758

Does migration from high and intermediate endemic regions increase the prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Germany? [Erhöhen migrationen aus hohen und mittleren endemiegebieten die hepatitis B-prävalenz in Deutschland?] (Article)

Marschall T. , Krämer A.* , Prüfer-Krämer L. , Mikolajczyk R. , Kretzschmar M.
  • a Arbeitsgruppe Bevölkerungsmedizin, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
  • b Arbeitsgruppe Bevölkerungsmedizin, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Universität Bielefeld, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
  • c Praxis für Innere Medizin und Tropenmedizin, Bielefeld, Germany
  • d Arbeitsgruppe Bevölkerungsmedizin, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
  • e Arbeitsgruppe Bevölkerungsmedizin, Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

Abstract

Background and objective: Germany is one of the low endemic areas for hepatitis B. There are 7,3 million foreign citizens and 3,2 million migrants from the former USSR and Eastern Europe with German roots, the "Resettlers" (Aussiedler), who migrated to Germany mostly from countries with moderate or high HBsAg prevalence. The aim of this study was to determine the HBsAg prevalence in adult foreign citizens and resettlers compared with that among the adult German population. Methods: Adult foreign citizens and resettlers were categorized according to their country of origin into groups with low, intermediate or high HBsAg prevalence, using data from the WHO. Statistics of the Federal Office for Statistics, the Federal Office for Administration and the Federal Ministry of the Interior were used for the demographic analysis. The number of chronic HBsAg carriers for the different population groups and the whole population was then calculated. Results: 84% of the adult migrant population in Germany migrated from countries with intermediate and high HBsAg endemicity. For 2003 we calculated 503 040 HBsAg carriers in Germany. 42% of these have a migratory background, even though migrants represent only 12,7% of the whole population. The risk for chronic infection with HBsAg is 7,1 (4,8-13,2) for the resettiers and is 4,3 (3,0-8,1) times higher for foreign citizens than for the German population. Conclusions: These remarkable differences in prevalence make it important that migrants and their close contacts be vaccinated properly, pregnant women be included in screening programs and cases of chronic hepatitis B be treated adequately. © Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Russia Germany Europe, Eastern demography human Aged Hepatitis B virus Humans male female chronic hepatitis population research prevalence Article major clinical study adult migration infection risk endemic disease Endemic Diseases world health organization hepatitis B surface antigen Emigration and Immigration Hepatitis B Surface Antigens vaccination hepatitis B Seroepidemiologic Studies virus carrier Carrier State Hepatitis B Antibodies
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-29144442033&doi=10.1055%2fs-2005-922067&partnerID=40&md5=2e9f125c2eecc6ed4d1e7495e7606e9f
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-922067
ISSN: 00120472
Cited by: 25
Original Language: German