Prevalence and influencing factors of hepatitis B among a rural residential population in Zhejiang Province, China: a cross-sectional study

Seroconversion and Prevalence of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen among Vaccinated Health Care Workers in Ashanti Region, Ghana

Background

Health care workers (HCWs) constantly stand at a high risk of exposure to the hepatitis B virus because of the nature of their work. Hence, it is mandatory for HCWs to undergo hepatitis B vaccination. However, most HCWs in Ghana do not check their HBsAb titre after completion of their primary vaccination. This study assessed the prevalence of HBsAg and the seroconversion rate among vaccinated health care workers in the Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Materials and Methods

A semistructured open-ended questionnaire was pretested and administered to 424 HCWs. Two (2) ml of blood was drawn and qualitative analyses (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBcAb) were done on the blood samples. Samples that tested positive to HBsAb were quantified using ELISA. Data obtained were analysed using GraphPad Prism 9.

Results

Out of the 424 study participants, 271 (63.9%) were females and 153 (36.1%) were males. Seroconversion (≥1 mIU/mL) and seroprotection (≥10 mIU/mL) through vaccination only among study participants were 67.5% (n/N  = 286/424) and 58.0% (n/N  = 246/424), respectively. Prevalence of hepatitis B viral infection was 2.4% (n/N  = 10/424). Anti-HBc seropositivity was 13.2%, and anti-HBs seronegativity was 24.1%. 2.4% (n/N  = 10/424) of study participants were negative to HBsAg but positive to HBcAb. In addition, 8.5% (n/N = 36/424) of the study participants were seroprotected due to exposure and recovery from previous HBV infection. Age, the number of doses received, taking a booster dose, and keeping a vaccination record card were significant factors influencing seroconversion status.

Conclusion

This study reaffirms the need for HCWs to undergo a supervised primary hepatitis B vaccination course. Postvaccination serological testing should be done for all HWCs to confirm immunity and reduce their chances of contracting HBV infection.

Correlates of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in the general adult population of China: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant public health issue in China. Understanding factors associated with chronic HBV is important to enable targeted screening and education and to improve early diagnosis and prevention of disease progression. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify and describe correlates of chronic HBV among Chinese adults. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and grey literature up to 25 June 2020. Eligible papers included observational studies in adults of the general population in China that reported factors associated with chronic HBV, measured by Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Meta-analysis was performed using fixed-effect models of HBsAg prevalence among factors, and of adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for chronic HBV associated with each factor. Overall 39 articles were included, covering 22 factors, including a range of sociodemographic, behavioural and medical factors. In meta-analysis of eligible studies, a range of factors were significantly associated with higher HBsAg prevalence, including middle age, male sex, being married, rural residence, lower education, smoking, having a HBsAg positive household contact, family history of HBV, history of surgery or blood transfusion. The adjusted ORs varied, from 1.11 (95% CI 1.05-1.18) for smoking to 5.13 (95% CI 4.99-5.26) for having a HBsAg positive household contact. In Chinese adults, a range of factors are associated with chronic HBV infection, which may help inform targeted screening in the general population.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus and associated risk factors among adults patients at Dessie referral and Kemise general hospitals in northeastern Ethiopia

Background and Aims

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can reason a variety of health problems and can be fatal. According to the most recent estimates of the Global Burden of Disease study and WHO, viral hepatitis is accountable for around 1.34 million deaths yearly, which is comparable to the yearly number of deaths from HIV/AIDS (1.3 million), malaria (0.9 million), and tuberculosis (1.3 million). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of the Hepatitis B virus and associated risk factors among adults patients at Dessie Referral and Kemise General Hospitals.

Methods

The source for the data on Hepatitis B virus (HBV) was all adults aged≥18 years that were admitted and tested for HBV from September 2020 to February 2021 were included in the study. A total of 1283 adults were admitted out of which, 1080 adults have completed measurements and had been taken into consideration for this examination, and others had been excluded from the examination because of exclusion criteria. To meet our objective descriptive statistics, the χ 2 test and multiple logistic regression statistical models were used for data analysis.

Results

In this study, a total of 1080 adults were included out of which 631 (58.4%) female and 449 (41.6%) were male with a mean age of 34(SD ±±  12.56) years. The overall prevalence of HBV among adults was 27.4% (95% confidence interval [CI];24.8-30.2). The results of this study showed that age 25-34(odds ratio [OR] = 3.6, p-value = 0.005), 35-44 (OR = 6.67, p-value <0.001), ≥45 (OR = 3.85, p-value = 0.005), male (OR = 4.36, p-value < 0.001), history of hospitalization (OR = 0.644, p-value = 0.04), family history of HBV (OR = 1.96, p-value = 0.005), and jaundice (OR = 2.50, p-value = 0.005) were significant risk factors of HBV.

Conclusion

The prevalence of HBV in this study is 27.4%. The results of this study showed that age, male, history of hospitalization, family history of HBV, and jaundice were significant risk factors for Hepatitis B virus.

Tuberculosis challenges: Resistance, co-infection, diagnosis, and treatment

Early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB), followed by effective treatment, is the cornerstone of global TB control efforts. An estimated 3 million cases of TB remain undetected each year. Early detection and effective management of TB can prevent severe disease and reduce mortality and transmission. Intrinsic and acquired drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) severely restricted the anti-TB therapeutic options, and public health policies are required to preserve the new medications to treat TB. In addition, TB and HIV frequently accelerate the progression of each other, and one disease can enhance the other effect. Overall, TB-HIV co-infections show an adverse bidirectional interaction. For HIV-infected patients, the risk of developing TB disease is approximately 22 times higher than for persons with a protective immune response. Analysis of the current TB challenges is critical to meet the goals of the end TB strategy and can go a long way in eradicating the disease. It provides opportunities for global TB control and demonstrates the efforts required to accelerate eliminating TB. This review will discuss the main challenges of the TB era, including resistance, co-infection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Impact of body mass index on immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccine in bariatric surgery candidates: A retrospective study

AIMS

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization is regarded as the most effective method for the prevention of HBV infection. Various factors, including body mass index (BMI), may contribute to decreased immunization responses. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between BMI at the time of vaccination with anti-HBs levels over the following years.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 790 vaccinated participants were recruited. Of these, individuals were selected whose hepatitis B antibody (HBsAb) information was available in 2017. The researchers contacted participants by phone to gather data regarding vaccination history, and weight at the time of vaccination. All data analysis was performed by SPSS.

RESULTS

This study included 165 eligible adults (28 males and 137 females). Among them, 79% participants were obese. Additionally, 46 (27.88%) and 119 (72.12%) had negative and positive HBsAb, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences seen across all characteristics, except for the number of HBV vaccinations between the positive and negative HBsAb groups. Multiple logistic regression also indicated no meaningful relationship between BMI and positive antibodies.

CONCLUSION

There was no relationship observed between BMI and immune response to HBV vaccine in bariatric candidates. Known risk factors (age, sex, diabetes, and the number of HBV vaccinations) were not independent predictors of the antibody response to the HBV vaccine.

Sero-epidemiology study of hepatitis B virus surface antibodies from 2017 to 2019 among Chinese young adults in Hunan Province: A three-year retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Data on the epidemiology characteristics of hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) are lacking among central southern undeveloped areas of China, especially for young adults. This study aims to demonstrate the sero-epidemiology characteristics of HBsAb among young adults.

AIMS

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the epidemiological characteristics in prevalence of serum anti-HBs in college students of a university in Hunan Province, China.

METHODS

Data were derived from the health records (including serum HBsAb data) among freshmen of a university from 2017 to 2019 in Hunan Province, China.

RESULTS

A total of 13,426 freshmen with complete data who were born in Hunan Province were collected. The 3-year total prevalence of anti-HBs in freshmen was 44.75% with no statistically significant sex difference, the prevalence of anti-HBs is 46.93%, 53.13%, and 34.79% for 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. There are significant geographic differences of prevalence of anti-HBs in freshmen from different areas. The lowest prevalence of anti-HBs was 31.80% in freshmen from Xiangtan, and the highest prevalence of anti-HBs was 53.10% in freshmen from Yongzhou.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of serum anti-HBs among the freshmen in Hunan from 2017 to 2019 is much lower than the average national level, and the prevalence in 2019 is significantly lower than that in 2017 and 2019. There are significant differences in different time and areas of the prevalence of anti-HBs. There is a necessity to carry out area-specific intensive immunization plan in a timely manner among young population in Hunan Province, China.

Hepatotropic viruses (hepatitis A, B, C, D and E) in a rural Brazilian population: prevalence, genotypes, risk factors and vaccination

BACKGROUND

People living in settlement projects represent an emergent rural population in Brazil. Data on their health is scarce and there are no data on viral hepatitis in this population. This study investigated the epidemiology of viral hepatitis A-E in residents of settlement projects in central Brazil.

METHODS

During 2011 and 2012, 923 people living in rural settlements in central Brazil were interviewed and tested to estimate the prevalence of exposure to viral hepatitis A-E, to identify the circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and risk factors for HBV exposure and to evaluate adherence to the hepatitis B vaccination series.

RESULTS

Overall, 85.9, 3.9, 0.4 and 17.3% of individuals showed evidence of exposure to hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis E virus, HCV and HBV, respectively. Among HBV-DNA positive samples (n=8), subgenotypes A1 (n=3) and A2 (n=1) and genotype D/subgenotype D3 (n=4) were identified. Hepatitis D virus superinfection was detected in 0/16 HBsAg-positive participants. A total of 229 individuals showed serological evidence of HBV vaccination. In total, 442 settlers were eligible for vaccination, but only 150 individuals completed the vaccine series. All anti-HCV-positive samples (n=4) were also HCV-RNA positive and identified as subtype 1a.

CONCLUSIONS

The intermediate endemicity of HAV, the higher prevalence of HBV exposure compared with urban areas and the low compliance with HBV vaccination requires preventive measures focused on rural populations, emphasizing the need for HAV and HBV vaccination.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among Malaysian population

Malaysia is a country with an intermediate endemicity for hepatitis B. As the country moves toward hepatitis B and C elimination, population-based estimates are necessary to understand the burden of hepatitis B and C for evidence-based policy-making. Hence, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C in Malaysia. A total of 1458 participants were randomly selected from The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) aged 35 to 70 years between 2006 and 2012. All blood samples were tested for hepatitis B and C markers including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), antibodies against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). Those reactive for hepatitis C were further tested for HCV RNA genotyping. The sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities were used to evaluate their associated risk factors. Descriptive analysis and multivariable analysis were done using Stata 14. From the samples tested, 4% were positive for HBsAg (95% CI 2.7-4.7), 20% were positive for anti-HBc (95% CI 17.6-21.9) and 0.3% were positive for anti-HCV (95% CI 0.1-0.7). Two of the five participants who were reactive for anti-HCV had the HCV genotype 1a and 3a. The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infection in Malaysia is low and intermediate, respectively. This population-based study could facilitate the planning and evaluation of the hepatitis B and C control program in Malaysia.

Hepatitis B infection in the general population of China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem in China. Over a decade has passed since the last National Hepatitis Seroepidemiological Survey was conducted in 2006. The lack of updated data on hepatitis B in China makes assessing the current prevalence and burden of the disease inadequate. In response to the above situation, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to provide a better understanding of hepatitis B epidemiology in the general population of China.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in international databases (Medline through PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science) and national databases (CBM, CNKI, WanFang Data) to retrieve primary studies published between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017. The pooled prevalence of HBV infection and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Quality assessment, heterogeneity testing and publication bias assessment were also performed.

RESULTS

Of the 27 studies included in the meta-analysis, the pooled estimated prevalence of HBV infection in the general population of China from 2013 to 2017 was 6.89% (95% CI:5.84-7.95%), which could be extrapolated to an estimated population of 84 million living with HBsAg in 2018. The prevalence of HBV infection in males was higher than that in females (5.88% vs 5.05%), and rural areas had a higher prevalence than urban areas (5.86% vs 3.29%). The highest prevalence of HBV infection was reported in Western provinces (8.92, 95% CI: 7.19-10.64%). In adults older than 20 years, the prevalence of HBV infection was approximately 7%, which was higher than that in children.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HBV infection in the general population of China was classified as higher intermediate prevalence (5-7.99%), of which more than 90% of the HBV infection population included adults older than 20 years. The blocking of mother-to-infant hepatitis B transmission and plans involving timely birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 h should be implemented. Additionally, improving the quality of life and survival rate of the infected population through antiviral therapy and high-risk adult vaccination will be the priority of our future work. Moreover, various control measures should be implemented in different provinces across China.

Log-Linear Modelling of Effect of Age and Gender on the Spread of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Lagos State, Nigeria

BACKGROUND:

The effect of age and gender on the transmission of any infectious disease can be of great important because the age at which the host contact the disease may be a determinant on the rate at which the disease will spread.

AIM:

The purpose of this research is to model the significant effect of age and gender on the spread of hepatitis B virus using data collected from Lagos State, Nigeria.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

The data that was used for this research is a ten years data covering the period of 2006 to 2015, which was collected from Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR). A log-linear modelling approach was employed using R programming language software. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) method of model selection was used in selecting the best model.

RESULTS:

It was discovered from the analysis that both factors (age and gender) have a significant effect on the spread of hepatitis B infection. This means that the age at which an individual is tested positive to hepatitis B virus will affect the spread of the disease. In choosing the best model among the four models that were developed, model AY: GY (age & year: gender and year) was found to be the best model.

CONCLUSION:

Age and gender were found to act as a risk influencer that could have a great effect on the transmission of hepatitis B virus infections in Lagos state, Nigeria.

A system dynamics modelling simulation based on a cohort of hepatitis B epidemic research in east China community

Hepatitis B constitutes a severe public health challenge in China. The Community-based Collaborative Innovation hepatitis B (CCI-HBV) project is a national epidemiological study of hepatitis B and has been conducting a comprehensive intervention in southern Zhejiang since 2009.The comprehensive intervention in CCI-HBV areas includes the dynamic hepatitis B screening in local residents, the normalised treatment for hepatitis B infections and the upcoming full-aged hepatitis B vaccination. After two rounds of screening (each round taking for 4 years), the initial epidemiological baseline of hepatitis B in Qinggang was obtained, a coastal community in east China. By combining key data and system dynamics modelling, the regional hepatitis B epidemic in 20 years was predicted.There were 1041 HBsAg positive cases out of 12 228 people in Round 1 indicating HBV prevalence of 8.5%. Of the 13 146 people tested in Round 2, 1171 people were HBsAg positive, with a prevalence of 8.9%. By comparing the two rounds of screening, the HBV incidence rate of 0.192 per 100 person-years was observed. By consulting electronic medical records, the HBV onset rate of 0.533 per 100 person-years was obtained. We generated a simulated model to replicate the real-world situation for the next two decades. To evaluate the effect of interventions on regional HBV prevalence, three comparative experiments were conducted.In this study, the regional hepatitis B epidemic in 20 years was predicted and compared with HBV prevalence under different interventions. Owing to the existing challenges in research methodology, this study combined HBV field research and simulation to provide a system dynamics model with close-to-real key data to improve prediction accuracy. The simulation also provided a prompt guidance for the field implementation.

Prevalence of malaria and hepatitis B among pregnant women in Northern Ghana: Comparing RDTs with PCR

BACKGROUND

High prevalence of malaria and hepatitis B has been reported among pregnant women in Ghana. In endemic areas, the diagnoses of malaria and hepatitis B among pregnant women on antenatal visits are done using histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), respectively, which are, however, reported to give some false positive results. Also, socio-economic determinants have been drawn from these RDTs results which may have questionable implications. Thus, this study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of malaria and hepatitis B by comparing RDTs with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) outcomes, and relating the PCR prevalence with socio-economic status among pregnant women in Northern Ghana.

METHODS

We screened 2071 pregnant women on their first antenatal visit for Plasmodium falciparum and hepatitis B virus (HBV) using HRP2 and HBsAg RDTs, and confirming the infections with PCR. Socio-economic and obstetric information were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire, and associations with the infections were determined using Pearson's chi-square and multinomial logistic regression analyses at a significance level of p<0.05.

RESULTS

The prevalence of the infections by RDTs/PCR was: 14.1%/13.4% for P. falciparum mono-infection, 7.9%/7.5% for HBV mono-infection, and 1.9%/1.7% for P. falciparum/HBV co-infection. No statistical difference in prevalence rates were observed between the RDTs and PCRs (χ2  =  0.119, p = 0.73 for malaria and χ2  =  0.139, p = 0.709 for hepatitis B). Compared with PCRs, the sensitivity/specificity of the RDTs was 97.5%/99.1% and 97.9%/99.4% for HRP2 and HBsAg respectively. Socio-economic status was observed not to influence HBV mono-infection among the pregnant women (educational status: AOR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.52-1.16, p = 0.222; economic status: AOR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.72-1.56, p = 0.739; financial status: AOR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.44-1.00, p = 0.052). However, pregnant women with formal education were at a lower risk for P. falciparum mono-infection (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI  =  0.32-0.71, p<0.001) and P. falciparum/HBV co-infection (AOR = 0.27, 95% CI  =  0.11-0.67, p = 0.005). Also those with good financial status were also at a lower risk for P. falciparum mono-infection (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI  =  0.36-0.74, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our data has shown that, the RDTs are comparable to PCR and can give a representative picture of the prevalence of malaria and hepatitis B in endemic countries. Also, our results support the facts that improving socio-economic status is paramount in eliminating malaria in endemic settings. However, socio-economic status did not influence the prevalence of HBV mono-infection among pregnant women in Northern Ghana.

Incidence and determinants of spontaneous hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance and seroconversion in hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic infection patients: A population-based prospective cohort

Seroclearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has been widely studied; however, seroconversion of HBsAg and characteristics of viral load among hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic infection patients after HBsAg lost is not clear. We performed a large-scale study in a HBeAg-negative chronic infection cohort to evaluate spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance incidence from October 2012 to April 2017 in Jiangsu province, China. We also elucidated the characteristics of HBsAg seroconversion and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA detectability among patients who cleared HBsAg. A total of 2997 HBeAg-negative chronic infection patients (mean age 52.3 ± 12.9 years at baseline) were included. With 10 519 person-years of follow-up, 348 patients successfully spontaneously cleared HBsAg, with an incidence rate of 3.31 per 100 person-years. Patients with HBV DNA detectable ~1999 IU/mL at baseline had a lower probability of HBsAg seroclearance relative to those with undetectable HBV DNA, with a hazard ratio of 0.31 (95% CI = 0.23, 0.41). HBsAg seroconversion occurred in 37.3% of those patients who cleared HBsAg. The geometric mean of anti-HBs among those with HBsAg conversion was 79.4 mIU/mL. Female had a higher HBsAg seroconversion rate (P = 0.011). Among those with HBsAg seroclearance, 11.2% still had HBV DNA levels of higher than 100 IU/mL. Patients with higher HBV DNA at baseline had a higher risk of detectable HBV DNA levels even after HBsAg seroclearance (P < 0.001). This study reveals HBsAg seroconversion rates and HBV DNA undetectability epidemiological characteristics of patients with HBsAg seroclearance and suggests that monitoring HBV DNA is needed when managing HBeAg-negative chronic patients, even after clearing HBsAg.

External quality control program in screening for infectious diseases at blood banks in Mexico

INTRODUCTION

Quality control for the detection of infectious markers in blood banks is a necessary activity to ensure the accuracy of donor screening results. Considering that in Mexico blood safety is one of the goals of the National Action Programs, it is essential to evaluate banks through an External Quality Control Program.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze one of the evaluations that showed the greatest participation (2014-2/lot46) of banks in the Mexican Republic in the detection of transfusion-transmitted diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A randomized panel of infectious markers of HIV, HCV, HBV, Treponema pallidum and Trypanosoma cruzi was manufactured under high quality standards. The evaluation criteria for each infectious marker were the identification of false positives and false negative results. Additionally, technologies used to detect infectious markers were requested for each bank.

RESULTS

Of the 503 banks, only 374 participated in the evaluation. Technologies based on chemiluminescence, immunofluorescence and immunocolorimetry were used to detect viral markers. Even rapid tests for T. pallidum continue to be the methods of choice with 42%. Trypanosoma cruzi was 20% with fast techniques versus 80% with automated tests. Highest incidence of false positives was identified for T. pallidum and HBV, followed by T. cruzi, HIV and HCV. Fourteen (3.74%) false negatives results were identified for T. cruzi, followed by T. pallidum (n = 5/1.33%), HCV (n = 4/1.06) and HVB/HIV (n = 2/0.53%).

CONCLUSION

False positive results identified for each infectious marker was considered high. This evidence will allow us to focus on areas of opportunity during serologic screening with greater emphasis on good laboratory practices.

Evaluation of response to hepatitis B vaccine in Iranian 6-18-year-old students

Background:

Hepatitis B is a dangerous disease with high morbidity and mortality rates all around the world. Vaccination is the most important way to its prevention and control. This cross-sectional study was carried out to study the levels of immunogenicity to hepatitis B vaccine in students.

Materials and Methods:

Six hundred and forty-four students aged 6–18 years including 316 girls and 328 boys were selected from the Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province. Selected students had been received three doses of recombinant vaccine (0, 1, and 6 months). Blood samples were taken and the titers of hepatitis B surface antigen were studied.

Results:

From a total of 644 students, 396 (61.5%) had a titer lesser than 10 mIu/ml and 248 (38.5%) had a titer higher than 10 mIu/ml. Therefore, the level of respond to vaccine with 95% confidence was 38.5% (34.7%–42.4%). Levels of respond to vaccine were related to age, body mass index (BMI), and educational level and were not related to sex and habit of students.

Conclusion:

Reverse significant relation was seen between the respond to vaccine and age and BMI in a way which the titers of antibody were lower in students with higher age and BMI.