Hepatitis B serological markers in a Saudi Arabian patient population and their implications for health care workers

ABSTRACT

The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence rate of hepatitis B in the patient population and the risk of contracting hepatitis B by health care workers in this comprehensive care hospital. The sera of 500 consecutive admissions were tested hepatitis B serological markers using sensitive radioimmunoassay methods. The significant positive results show hepatitis B 'surface' antigen [HB[s]Ag], 8.8%; antiHB[c] ['core' alone], 3.4%; and, anti-HB[s] 46.6%. There was at last one positive hepatitis B virus marker in 56.6% of those tested. The presence of HB'eAg, suggesting high infectivity, was detected in 9% of HBsAg positive sera. An 8.8% HB[s]Ag and 3.4% anti-HB[c] [alone] diction rate gives a total of 12.2% of patients who potentially may transmit hepatitis B to health care workers at this hospital. This is significantly higher than the 0.3 to 2% reported from U.S general metropolitan hospital. The presence of a hepatitis B markers inn 56.6% of the patient population places health care workers of this hospital at considerable risk of contracting hepatitis B, compared to that in North American hospital