ABSTRACT
Objective@#Despite the remarkable progress in efforts to control disease spread, the nationwide elimination of hepatitis B in China is still hindered by the persistently high rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Western China. This study aimed to evaluate the strategy of hepatitis B prevention and control in Western China and identify potential areas and strategies for improvement.@*Methods@#Susceptible population vaccination, health education, professional training of doctors, and other prevention and control measures have been implemented in Wuwei city since 2010. Data were obtained from three representative cross-sectional serosurveys conducted in 2010, 2013, and 2015. The serum samples were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect the following seromarkers: HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), and antibody against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Estimates of variance were determined using Taylor series linearization methods.@*Results@#The three serosurveys revealed decreases in the prevalence of HBsAg (7.19% in 2010 @*Conclusion@#Although vaccine-based prevention and control measures reduced the rate of HBV infection in Wuwei City over time, the hepatitis B infection rate in children younger than 10 years was still higher than the national average level. Therefore, the prevention and control of mother-to-child transmission and the management of the infected should be the focus of future prevention and control work.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , China/epidemiology , Communicable Disease Control/statistics & numerical data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Hepatitis B/prevention & control , Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification , Prevalence , Seroepidemiologic StudiesABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the carrier state of hepatitis E virus(HEV) in livestock in Xi'an area.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Bile samples from swine, canine, sheep and cow were collected from a local slaughtering house. Reverse transcriptase nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) was employed to amplify the ORF2 region in HEV RNA genome. All positive samples were sequenced and compared with data from GenBank. Homology analysis was conducted based on the outcome of sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>194, 178, 79 and 191 bile samples from swine, canine, cow and sheep were collected. Positive rates with RT-nPCR method in these domestic animals were 4.10%, 0%, 0% and 0% respectively. Genetic distance analysis indicated that strains being identified were close to genotype IV of HEV, then genotype I, II and III in nucleic acid. Same outcome was shown by the same analysis on amino acid.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Swine was the only reservoir of HEV in livestock and genotype IV was the prevalent genotype.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Cattle , Dogs , Animals, Domestic , Virology , China , Genome, Viral , Genetics , Genotype , Hepatitis E virus , Classification , Genetics , Phylogeny , RNA, Viral , Genetics , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Sheep , SwineABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Case-control study was employed to explore the association of sexual behavior during pregnancy and hepatitis B virus (HBV) intrauterine infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>212 HBsAg positive pregnant women were consecutively collected and investigated as objects. Those neonates detected for HBsAg with S/N value > or = 5 by Abbott reagents in periphery sera were selected as cases, others as controls. Information on sexual behavior during pregnancy, maternal HBeAg status and other factors was collected, and were analyzed with univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, etc, to explore the association of factors with HBV intrauterine infection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ten of the 214 neonates were validated as occurrence of HBV intrauterine infection. Sexual behavior in the second trimester during pregnancy, with odd ratios 9.15 (95% CI: 1.10 - 76.28), as well as maternal positivity for HBeAg and HBV DNA, was significantly associated with HBV intrauterine infection, and sequently affirmed by multiple logistic regression analysis. The strength of association increased with frequency of sexual behavior. Interaction analysis suggested that there was synergistic interaction between maternal positivity of HBeAg and sexual behavior in the second trimester.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sexual behavior was a newly discovered risk factor for HBV intrauterine infection, which need to be estimated in future studies. Inhibition of virus replication and moderate control of sexual behavior would be helpful to prevent HBV intrauterine infection.</p>