Capture-Recapture: Using Existing Data Sources to Improve Perinatal Hepatitis B Surveillance, Philadelphia, 2008-2014

Objective:The objective of this study was to describe the capture-recapture method used by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to enhance surveillance of perinatal hepatitis B virus (HBV), report on results and limitations of the process, and determine why some HBV-positive mother-infant pairs were not initially identified by Philadelphia’s Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program (PHBPP).Methods:We performed capture-recapture retrospectively for births in 2008 and 2009 in Philadelphia and prospectively for births from 2010 to 2014 by independently matching annual birth certificate data to PHBPP and HBV surveillance data. We compared the number of HBV-positive mother-infant pairs identified each year to the point estimates and lower-limit estimates calculated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the Philadelphia PHBPP.Results:Of 156 605 pregnancy outcomes identified between 2008 and 2014, we found 1549 HBV-positive mother-infant pairs. Of 705 pairs that were initially determined,...