High prevalence of hepatitis B virus among female sex workers in Nigeria / Alta prevalência de hepatite pelo vírus B entre trabalhadoras do sexo feminino na Nigéria

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in Nigeria and constitutes a public health menace. The prevalence of HBV infection in many professional groups has been described in Nigeria. However, literature on HBV infection among female sex workers (FSW) in Nigeria is scanty. FSW in Nigeria are not subjected to a preventive control of HBV infection. This study assesses the extent of spread of HBV among FSW in Nigeria. Seven hundred and twenty (n = 720) FSW (mean age = 26.7 years) were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by a double antibody sandwich ELISA method. The overall HBV prevalence among the FSW was 17.1 percent. FSWs between the ages of 31-35 year (20.5 percent) and those with 'age-at-first-sex' below 10 years of age (28 percent) were most affected. This high prevalence of a vaccine preventable disease is unacceptable, therefore, vaccination of this high risk HBV reservoir group should be considered worthwhile.

A hepatite pelo vírus B (HBV) é infecção endêmica na Nigéria e constitui problema de saúde pública. A prevalência da infecção HBV em muitos grupos profissionais foi descrito na Nigéria. No entanto, a literatura da infecção HBV entre trabalhadoras do sexo feminino (FSW) na Nigéria é escasso. FSW na Nigéria não são submetidas a um controle preventivo de infecção de HBV. Este estudo avalia a extensão da disseminação de HBV entre FSW na Nigéria. Setecentos e vinte (n = 720) FSW (média de idade = 26,7 anos) foram testadas para antígeno de superfície da hepatite B (HBsAg) pelo método ELISA usando sandwich de duplos anticorpos. A prevalência total de HBV entre o FSW foi 17,1 por cento. FSWs entre as idades de 31-35 anos (20,5 por cento) e abaixo de 10 anos de idade (28 por cento) foram mais afetadas. Esta alta prevalência de doença evitável pela vacinação é inaceitável, portanto, vacinação deste grupo de alto risco de HBV deve ser considerada fundamental.

The role of triple infection with hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type-1 on CD4+ lymphocyte levels in the highly HIV infected population of North-Central Nigeria

We set out to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C among human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infected individuals in North-Central Nigeria to define the influence of these infections on CD4+ lymphocytes cells among our patients as access to antiretroviral therapy improves across the Nigerian nation. The CD4+ values of 180 confirmed HIV-1 infected individuals were enumerated using a superior fluorescence-activated cell sorter system. These patients were tested for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) using third generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Fifty (27.8 percent) patients had active hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection while 33 (18.3 percent) tested positive for anti-HCV antibody. Of these infections, 110 (61.1 percent), 37 (20.6 percent), and 20 (11.1 percent) had HIV only, HBV/HIV-only, and HCV/HIV-only respectively. A HBV/HCV/HIV coinfection prevalence of 7.2 percent (13 patients) was recorded. Patients coinfected with HIV/HBV/HCV appeared to have lower CD4+ counts (mean = 107 cells/æl; AIDS defining) when compared to HBV/HIV-only (mean = 377 cells/æl), HCV/HIV-only (mean = 373 cells/æl) and patients with mono HIV infection (mean = 478 cells/æl). Coinfection with HBV or HCV is relatively common among HIV-infected patients in Nigeria and should be a big consideration in the initiation and choice of therapy.