Prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers among hospital personnel in Israel: correlation with some risk factors

During 1986-1987, 480 employees of the Tel-Aviv Medical Center were screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers as a preliminary step in a vaccination campaign. One hundred and seventeen (24·4%) had evidence of previous infection, including nine (1·9%) carriers. The effect of potential risk factors on seropositivity was evaluated by multiple logistic regression analysis, which enabled assessment of the individual contribution of each risk factor under the specific environmental conditions. The following risk factors were found to influence seropositivity: origin from Third World countries as opposed to the Western World, employment as sanitary workers, age over 40 years, and history of accidental needle punctures. In the heterogeneous Israeli population, hospital workers had a relatively high prevalence of HBV markers, probably resulting from occupational exposure.