Abstract
BackgroundHealth care professionals, especially medical students, are at greater risk of contracting hepatitis B and C virus infections due to their occupational exposure to percutaneous injuries and other body fluids. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections among medicine and health science students in Northeast Ethiopia and to assess their knowledge and practice towards the occupational risk of viral hepatitis.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 408 medicine and health science students during the period from March to September 2017. A pre-coded self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on students’ socio- demographic characteristics, knowledge and practice of hepatitis B and C infections. Blood samples were collected and screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibodies. SPSS version 20 statistical software was used for data analysis.ResultsThe seroprevalence of HBV infection was 4.2% (95% CI 2.5 to 6.1%) and 0.7% (95% CI 0.0 to 1.7%) for HCV. Older age (AOR = 15.72, 95% CI 1.57–157.3) and exposure to needlestick injury (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI 1.10–10.73) were associated with a higher risk of HBV infection. Majority of the students (80.1%) had an adequate knowledge about hepatitis B and C infection, mode of transmission and preventive measures. Only 50.0% of students had safe practice towards occupational risk of viral hepatitis infection. Almost half (49.8%) of students experienced a needlestick injury; of which, 53.2% reported the incidence, and only 39.4% had screening test result for viral hepatitis.ConclusionA high seroprevalence but poor practice of hepatitis B and C virus infection was found in the study area despite their good knowledge towards occupational risk of viral hepatitis infection.
Highlights
Viral hepatitis due to hepatitis B and C is a global public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide, causing an estimated 1.3 million deaths each year from acute infection and hepatitis-related liver cancer and cirrhosis [1]
The seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was 4.2% and 0.7% for hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Older age (AOR = 15.72, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.57–157.3) and exposure to needlestick injury (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI 1.10–10.73) were associated with a higher risk of HBV infection
Summary
Viral hepatitis due to hepatitis B and C is a global public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide, causing an estimated 1.3 million deaths each year from acute infection and hepatitis-related liver cancer and cirrhosis [1]. The burden of viral hepatitis in Ethiopia is highest; where an estimated 6.5–8.4% of the population is infected with HBV and 2.2–4.4% with HCV[6]. Health-care workers are, at greater risk of acquiring these two blood-borne infections from percutaneous (needlestick/sharp instrument) injuries or other types of occupational exposures, and the incidence of this infection among them has been estimated to be four times the level in the general population [7,8]. Overall the number of health-care workers annually exposed to sharp injuries contaminated with HBV and HCV was estimated to reach 2.1 million and 926,000, respectively [10]. Especially medical students, are at greater risk of contracting hepatitis B and C virus infections due to their occupational exposure to percutaneous injuries and other body fluids. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus infections among medicine and health science students in Northeast Ethiopia and to assess their knowledge and practice towards the occupational risk of viral hepatitis
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