Unusual presentation of hepatitis B serological markers in an Amerindian community of Venezuela with a majority of occult cases.

Background: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is characterized by the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the absence of HBsAg in the serum of patients. The aim of this study was to characterize HBV infection among a Piaroa community, an Amerindian group which exhibits significant evidence of exposure to HBV but relatively low presence of HBsAg, and to explore the presence of OBI in this population.

Results: Of 150 sera, with 17% anti-HBc and 1.