Urban Load of Hepatitis B: A Kolkata Based Study

ABSTRACT

Background: Kolkata is a populous and congested city prone to viral hepatitis of all types in general. Since hepatitis B is themost serious and also the most life-threatening among all types of hepatitis virus infections; a study was done for 1 year to findout the hepatitis B prevalence in a North Kolkata based medical college.Materials and Methods: Blood was taken from all patients in the medicine outpatient department and indoor wards who werereferred to get a blood test for detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as also from pre-operative and ante-natalpatients who needed routine testing for screening of HBsAg. They were tested 3 times with HBsAg card test method and aperson testing positive for HBsAg on all the three tests were taken as positive.Results and Discussion: Out of 8520 persons tested, 97 were found to be positive for HBsAg. Of them, 51 had a history ofneedle injury, 27 had multiple blood transfusions, 13 had tattoo markings or acupuncture, 4 had a family history of hepatitis B,and only one had concomitant HIV. 89.7% of the patients tested were married and 10.3% were unmarried.Conclusion: Although Kolkata is an area prone to hepatitis virus infections in general, only 1.13% of the population in our studywas positive for hepatitis B proving that Kolkata is a low epidemic area for hepatitis B. The culture here of using only new syringes,taking vaccinations and other education might be responsible for this low epidemic of this disastrous disease, in this region.