Deinstitutionalized mentally retarded hepatitis-B surface antigen carriers in public school classes: A descriptive survey

Abstract

Twenty-seven of 33 formerly institutionalized retarded HBsAg carriers exhibited behaviors which might facilitate viral transmission in classrooms where they had been placed with retarded susceptibles. Classroom conditions included lack of handwashing facilities and frequent failure to inform staff of the presence of such carriers in their classes. A serological survey of classroom contacts showed that 91 per cent of never-institutionalized students, 86 per cent of staff, and 18 per cent of formerly-institutionalized students had no antibody to HBsAg. Caution should be taken to protect teachers and students from infection with hepatitis-B in such classrooms.