Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in dentists of District I of the province of Buenos Aires

: Two samples were analyzed; first survey carried out by 250 odontologists chosen out of total number of 1,500 dentists belonging to District I Province of Buenos Aires; the other, by 31 students out of the 180 who attended the last course at the School of Odontology in the National University of La Plata. Through the determination of anti-HBc by enzyme-immuno test, a prevalence of infection due to HBV of 9.6% was found in the odontologists' sample. The prevalence is meaningfully higher than of the general population (5.8), therefore it is demonstrated for the first time in our medium that these professionals constitute a high-risk population. The prevalence found by the students (6.4) was not meaningfully different from that of the general population. The prevalence of an i-HBc found in each of the services taken into account was directly proportional to the number of patients daily assisted. The prevention and sterilization measures for HBV were proved to be unsuitable. No association between a certain HLA pattern and the different serological images, was found.