Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C in Brazilian army conscripts in 2002: a cross-sectional study
Braz. j. infect. dis
;
9(5): 374-383, Oct. 2005. mapas, tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-419646
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis B and C constitute important public health problems worldwide. In Brazil, studies on prevalence of viral hepatitis have local and regional characteristics; consequently it is difficult to define the national epidemiological situation. Our objective was to evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C in conscripts of the Brazilian Army. A transversal study among males aged 17 to 22 years was conducted nationwide. After informed consent, each volunteer filled in a social-behavioral questionnaire and had blood drawn to test for HBsAg and anti-HCV. A total of 7,372 volunteers were evaluated in the second half of 2002. The prevalence of HBsAg was 2.6 percent (95 percent confidence interval 2.2, 3.0) and that of anti-HCV was 1.5 percent (95 percent confidence interval 1.2, 1.8). A wide variation among macro regions and states in the same region was observed for both markers. In conclusion, although this population theoretically had a low risk for HBV and HCV infection, these results are higher than expected for this age range. These findings may indicate a change in the pattern of HBV and HCV transmission in Brazil. Due to the different dynamics of these epidemics, further studies are warranted to confirm these apparent trends.
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Hepatitis C
/
Hepatitis C Antibodies
/
Endemic Diseases
/
Hepatitis B
/
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prevalence study
/
Risk factors
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Braz. j. infect. dis
Journal subject:
Communicable Diseases
Year:
2005
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
BIBEx/BR
/
HEMOPE Foundation/BR
/
Ministery of Health/BR
/
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais/BR
/
Universidade José do Rosário Vellano/BR
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