Association between chronic hepatitis B carrier state and schistosomiasis.

: A case-control study was designed to investigate the association between chronic HB carrier state and schistosomiasis infection. Four hundred bilharzial and 370 non-bilharzial individuals were included in this study. Sera from all individuals were tested for HBsAg and antibodies to delta Ag using ELISA. Chronic HB carrier rate was significantly higher among bilharzial cases (12.5%) than non-bilharzial individuals (6.2%). However no association was observed between HBs antigenaemia and intensity of schistosoma infection estimated by geometric mean of number of S. mansoni eggs/gm stools and S. haematobium eggs/10 ml of urine. Among important hepatitis associated risk factors reported were parenteral injection, dental manipulation and hospitalization. Blood transfusion seemed to have very minor role. Antibodies to delta Ag were detected in 9.6% of chronic HBsAg carriers, especially in the high titered individuals.