[Trends and Epidemiological Characteristics of Acute Hepatitis B among Foreign Nationals in the Republic of Korea, 2014-2024].

Objectives: This report compares reporting patterns of acute hepatitis B between Koreans and foreign nationals, focusing on cases reported to Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's infectious disease surveillance system from 2014 to 2024. It also describes the general and epidemiologic features of foreign nationals. Methods: A total of 3,591 cases (3,287 Koreans and 304 foreign nationals) were analyzed using surveillance and epidemiologic investigation data. Factors such as reporting trends, sex, age group, and geographic distribution were compared between Koreans and foreign nationals. For foreign nationals, countries of origin and socio-demographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics were also described. Results: Reporting trends, sex, and geographic distribution were similar, whereas age group distribution differed. Koreans were mainly in their 40s-50s (approximately 40%), while foreign nationals were mostly in their 20s-30s (approximately 57%). Approximately 85% of foreign nationals were from Asia, especially China and Vietnam, where hepatitis B prevalence is high. Nearly 40% were unemployed or engaged in manual and low-skilled work. The main symptom was jaundice. Vaccination history was mostly unknown, and language barriers were the major challenge during field investigations. Conclusions: Foreign nationals with acute hepatitis B are an important group for public health management, given the increasing number of foreign residents in Republic of Korea. Most are from high-prevalence countries, and limited access to healthcare may lead to under-diagnosis or under-reporting. Moreover, their vaccination history was largely undeterminable, which could pose a significant risk factor. Therefore, improving vaccination coverage for foreign nationals and developing tailored management strategies are warranted.