Hepatitis B virus infection among household contacts of patients with acute HBsAg-positive hepatitis

Sixty-seven household contacts of 31 index cases with acute HBsAg-positive hepatitis were investigated for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers. Follow-up findings in 50 household contacts revealed that six spouses and/or sexual partners had developed acute clinical hepatitis B. Three of these six contacts were drug addicts. A further seven contacts showed serological changes compatible with exposure to HBV, but had no signs of acute clinical hepatitis. Six of these seven contacts were spouses and/or sexual partners of their index case. Possible prophylactic or post-exposure measures only seem to be necessary in the spouses and/or sexual partners of patients with acute hepatitis B.