The burden of viral hepatitis among indigenous populations of the United States, Canada and Greenland is greater than in non-indigenous populations. In particular, throughout the circumpolar Arctic regions, chronic hepatitis B infection is highly prevalent, although incidence rates have declined considerably in certain regions due to infant HBV vaccination. Unique HBV (sub)genotypes having dist...

Hepatitis B is the main cause of hepatic disease in the Amazon and a biggest problem for its public health. Outbreaks and high prevalence of hepatitis B markers have been reported among immigrants recently arrived in northmost part of the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso. The hepatitis B surface antigen subtypes analysis suggests that the immigrants brought the virus themselves. Likely environmen...

About 100,000 cases of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occur annually in South America. The overall prevalence of HBV infection in low risk populations ranges from 6.7% to 41%, while hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) rates range from 0.4% to 13%. In high endemicity aboriginal or rural populations, perinatal transmission may play a major part in the spread of HBV. In urban populations,...