Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among blood donors at Military Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen

The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen [HbsAg] carrier rate in Yemen is reported to be high. This study was undertaken to record the prevalence of HbsSAg among military blood donors in Sana'a using ELISA test. One thousand five hundred and forty military blood donors were included in this screening test, 121 cases were found to be positive for HbsAg, giving a prevalence rate of 7.8%. There was a consistent increase of HbsAg with increasing age, indicating that horizontal spread of HBV in this country could be more important than vertical transmission. The difference between this result and previous studies are discussed. In the light of these results, an immunization programme against HBV in the country needs to be reviewed