Hepatitis B among Young People in Lere Health Department (Chad)

Background: Hepatitis B is an infectious disease that affects many people worldwide. It may be acute or chronic. Age-specific prevalence varies by geographical region with highest endemicity levels in sub-Saharan Africa and prevalence below 2% in regions such as tropical and central Latin America; North America and Western Europe.Objective: To determine the frequency and characteristics of infected persons with hepatitis B among people from the Lere health department.Participants and method: A 2-month cross-sectional survey was performed in eleven villages in the Lere health department; Chad. At least 100 young people were screened in each village giving a total study population of 1;150 (607 males and 543 females aged = 25 years). Those immunized against hepatitis B were excluded. Studied variables were: age; sex; ethnic group and the results of testing.Results: Hepatitis B tests were positive in 268 cases (23.3%) - 95% of these were from the Moundang ethnic group. Thirty two per cent of boys and 19% of girls aged =15 years were infected; 25% of boys and 13% of girls aged over 15 years were infected.Conclusion: This study shows a high prevalence of hepatitis B in a rural area in Chad. The high proportion among youths aged =15 years indicates that the main way of infection is likely to be the fetal- maternal transmission

Hepatitis B infection is highly endemic in Uganda: findings from a national serosurvey

Background: Infant immunization against hepatitis B began in Uganda in 2002. Objective: To determine the baseline prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and explore risk factors. Methods: A hepatitis B prevalence study was nested in the 2005 national HIV/AIDS serobehavioural survey. Demographic characteristics and risk factors were explored by questionnaire. One third of blood specimens (n=5875) from adults aged 15 to 59 years were tested for hepatitis B core antibodies (HBcAb); positive specimens were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Results: HBcAb was present in 52.3(95CI: 51.0-53.6) of adults; and HBsAg in 10.3(9.5-11.1). By 15-19 years of age; 40.0had been infected with HBV. Prevalence of both markers was significantly higher across northern Uganda; in rural areas; among the poor and least educated; and in uncircumcised men. Other independent predictors of infection were age; ethnic group; occupation; number of sex partners; and HIV and HSV-2 status. Conclusion: Hepatitis B virus infection is highly endemic in Uganda; with transmission occurring in childhood and adulthood. More than 1.4 million adults are chronically infected and some communities disproportionately affected. The hepatitis B infant immunization programme should be sustained and catch-up vaccination considered for older children

Epidemiologie et caracteristiques relationnelles de l'infection a VIH et des hepatites virales B et C chez les donneurs de sang a Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire)

Objectif: Etudier la relation entre l'infection a VIH et les hepatites virales B et C parmi les donneurs de sang a Abidjan; Cote d'Ivoire. Methodologie: Du 09 Juin au 29 Septembre 2000; un depistage du VIH; VHB et VHC a ete conduit parmi les donneurs de sang occasionnels a Abidjan. Des donnees sur les caracteristiques socio-demographiques et comportementales ainsi qu' un echantillon de sang ont ete collectes chez chaque donneur. La serologie VIH; la recherche des marqueurs des hepatites B (Ag HBs) et C (anticorps anti-11CV et ARN viral) ainsi que le dosage de l'enzyme Alaline Amino-Transferase (ALAT) ont ete realises au laboratoire du Projet RETRO-CI sur les serums recueillis chez les participants. Resultats: Sur un total de 1000 donneurs de sang occasionnels; l'age median etait de 25 ans avec des extremes compris entre 18 et 60 ans; 67.5pour cent etaient de sexe masculin; 75pour cent etaient celibataires; 56pour cent residaient a Abidjan Nord et 77.4pour cent avaient au moins un niveau secondaire d'instruction. La seroprevalence etait de 5.7pour cent pour le VIE; de 10.5pour cent pour le VIIR (Agl-lBs) et de 3.1pour cent pour le VHC. Le taux de viremie parmi les sujets VHC positifs etait egal a 71pour cent et la prevalence des co-infections VIH/VHB; VIH/VHC et VHB/VHC etait respectivement de 0.7pour cent; 0.4pour cent et 0.2pour cent. Parmi les sujets VIH positifs; 12.30pour cent (7/57) etaient VHB positifs et 7.02pour cent (4/57) VHC positifs. Le statut VIH positif n'etait pas associe au statut VHB positif (p=0.65) ou au statut VHC positif (p=0.09) dans notre etude. L'elevation d'ALAT (50 UT/1) etait statistiquement associee au statut VHB positif (p= 0;000001). Les facteurs associes a l'infection a VIH: etre age de 30 a 39 ans (RR=2;37 : 1;41-3;98); etre de sexe feminin (RR=3;56 : 2;11-6); resider a Abidjan Sud (RR=l;89 : 1;13-3;16); etre marie (RR=2;4: 1;45-4;01); etre dans un habitat precaire (RR=1;93 : 1;17-3;2); avoir un bas niveau d'etude (RR=3;55 : 2;16-5;83); le multipartenariat sexuel (RR=3;02 : 1;7-5;36); avoir des rapports sexuels non proteges (RR=2;82: 1;14-6;98); avoir un antecedent d'IST (RR=2;02: 1;02-3;98). Les facteurs associes a l'hepatite virale B : etre age de moins de 20 ans (RR=1;76 : 1;02-3;98); etre de sexe masculin (RR=2;33: 1;43-3;8); le multipartenariat sexuel (RR=1;47 : 1;01-2;16); avoir des rapports sexuels non proteges (RR=2;89: 1;47-5;57); avoir un antecedent d'IST (RR=1;96 :1;21-3;17); absence de vaccination contre l'hepatite B (RR=2;89: 1;20-6;95). Conclusion: Il existe des co-infections entre le VIH et les virus des hepatites B et C parmi les donneurs de sang occasionnels a Abidjan. Cependant; aucune association statiquement significative n'a ete retrouvee entre le statut VIH et les statuts VHB positif ou VHC positif dans notre etude