乙型肝炎病毒在某一特定的人群中的感染水平是与一定的社会因素有关。因而,乙型肝炎病毒的流行病学在国家之间、种族之间、部落之间以及相邻的村庄之间的显著差异,常常令人费解。那么,社会因素又是怎样来影响不同人群中水平传播和垂直传播的比例呢?由于怀孕期感染乙型肝炎或系无症状抗原携带者将会导致儿童期的慢性乙型肝炎感染,所以,那些使即将怀孕的妇女感染乙型肝炎的危险性增加的文化习俗与此有 Hepatitis B virus infection in a particular population is related to certain social factors. Thus, the epidemiology of the hepatitis B virus is often puzzling among nations, among races, between tribes and among neighboring villages. How, then, do social factors affect the level of horizontal and vertical transmission among different populations? Because infection with hepatitis B or asymptomatic antigen during pregnancy leads to childhood chronic hepatitis B infection, those This is where cultural practices that increase the risk of hepatitis B infection among women who are about to become pregnant