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Abstract Details
Estimated prevalence and number of persons with isolated antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and associated occult hepatitis B, United States, 2001-2018
Philip R Spradling1, Jian Xing1, Aaron M Harris1, Kathleen N Ly1
Author information
1Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, GA, USA.
Abstract
Persons with isolated antibody to HBV core antigen (IAHBc) may have occult HBV infection (OBI), which is associated with reactivation and potential risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and HBV transmission. We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to estimate US IAHBc prevalence and published studies of IAHBc-associated OBI prevalence to estimate OBI burden. During 2001-2018, IAHBc prevalence was 0.8% (approximately 2.1 million persons); OBI burden range was 35,500-83,600 persons. These data support the need for more robust estimates of IAHBc-associated OBI prevalence in the general US population.