Abstract
<p><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Health-care workers are having highest probability of being infected with HBV.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>To determine conditional probability of sero-prevalence of hepatitis B virus markers among health care workers in White Nile State, Sudan.</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> A cross sectional study design with analytical approach was used. Three hundred eighty five health care workers were selected randomly. An interview was carried using a pre-tested questionnaire and five ml venous blood samples were consented. Blood samples were tested for Anti-HB core total, HBsAg and HBeAg. Conditional probabilities of being a carrier and highly infective were calculated regarding departments, occupation of HCWs, marital status and working duration in hospital.</p><p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Out of the total study population, 230 (59.7%) were positive for anti-HB core total. Out of 230 HCWs, 62 (27.1%) were positive for HBsAg. Out of 62 HCWs, 29 (46.8%) were positive for HBeAg. In overall, 16% of study population was carriers and 7.5% were highly infective. HCWs in surgical and Obstetrics &amp; gynaecology had 0.50 conditional probability of being carriers and highly infective. Laboratory technicians had 0.64 conditional probability of being carriers and highly infective. HCWs with working duration in hospitals up to 5 years had 0.63 probability of being carriers and highly infective.</p><p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Prevalence and conditional probabilities of HBV markers among health care worker in White Nile State were high. HCWs in Surgical and Obstetrics &amp; gynaecology, Laboratory technicians and HCWs with working duration up to 5 years are carriers and highly infective. Periodical screening and vaccination of HCWs are recommended.</p>
Highlights
Globally; almost two billion were infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV)
Periodical screening and vaccination of health care worker (HCW) are recommended
The carrier rates ranged between 7%–40% in some African countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania
Summary
Globally; almost two billion were infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). The infectivity of HBV is 50 to 100 times higher than HIV (WHO, 2012). Health-care workers are having the highest probability of being infected with HBV during medical career in health institutions (Deuffic-Burban, Delarocque-Astagneau, Abiteboul, Bouvet, & Yazdanpanah, 2011; Mele et al, 2001; De Schryver, Claesen, Meheus, van Sprundel, & François, 2011). In Western Brazilian Amazon, the infection rate of HBV measured by hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc) is 79.1% (Castilho Mda, Oliveira, Gimaque, Leão, & Braga, 2012). In Southern Iran; the infection with HBV (anti-HBc) and carrier rates (HBsAg) are 22.2% and 11% respectively (Mohammad et al, 2014). Health-care workers are having highest probability of being infected with HBV
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