low frequency of hepatitis B virus infection in schistosomal and non-schistosomal Egyptian army recruits

ABSTRACT

To extend the knowledge on the current prevalence of parasitic diseases and hepatitis B virus carrier and infection rates, 297 new army recruits, 18-25 years old coming from villages in the Nile Delta, were studied. Frequency rates for S. mansoni, S. hematobium and mixed infection were 43%, 3.3%, and 7%, respectively. The frequency rate for amoebiasis was 49.8%, ascariasis 6%, giardiasis 2%, hymenolepiasis 1.6% and enterobiasis 1.3%. Hepatitis B virus infection rate was 33.3% and the carrier rate was only 1.6%. The infection and the carrier rates of HBV were comparable in simple schistosomal and non- schistosomal subjects, but within the schistosomal group infection and carrier rates were higher in subjects with S. mansoni [36.7% and 1.5%] compared to those with S. hematobium [30% and 0%] and mixed infection [30.4% and 0%]. The infection and carrier rates in this study are lower than those previously reported