Prevalence of hepatitis B infection in the general population: a rural community based study.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Available seroprevalence studies of hepatitis B in Indian population has limitations. A community based door to door epidemiological study was conducted between December 1997 and January 1988 to look for the dynamics of hepatitis B exposure in a single village of West Bengal. METHODS: In all, 960 inhabitants out of 1261 (according to 91 census) in a village of Birbhum district in West Bengal were interviewed and their blood were tested by ELISA for HBV exposure. Odds ratio was calculated to estimate the relative risks for each potential factor facilitating virus transmission. RESULTS: Participation rate in the present study was 76.1%. Over all HBsAg carrier rate was found to be 5.3%. Only 2/51 (3.9%) carriers were HBeAg positive. Injection by glass syringe (odds ratio = 3.01), age < 20 years (odds ratio = 1.41) and male sex (odds ratio = 1.57) were significant risk factor. CONCLUSION: The results of this rural, predominantly poor, agrarian worker based community data reveals a fairly large reservoir of infection (5.3%). It is mainly built-up early in life. Injection practices need to be safer in addition to HBV vaccination to fight this menace.