Abstract
BackgroundThe overall prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in China is declining. The purpose of this study was to use a community-based epidemiological study to update the infection status of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in mountainous regions of China, and to evaluate the impact of the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) on HBV transmission.MethodsIn total, 10,383 participants were selected by multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling in two mountainous regions, Xianju and Anji, in Zhejiang province, China.ResultsThe positive rates of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBV core antigen (anti-HBc), and anti-HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) were 9.5%, 33.9%, and 51.0%, respectively. Positive HBV markers were more frequently detected in males than in females (P < 0.01). The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were elevated (>38 IU/L) in 15.3% of the HBsAg-positive and 6.3% of the HBsAg-negative subjects. The α-fetoprotein (AFP) level was elevated in 0.8% of the HBsAg-positive participants who were older than 30 years old.ConclusionsThe epidemiology of HBV infection is location dependent. The prevalence of HBV infection in the mountainous regions is higher than the national levels. Moreover, HBV infection in women of childbearing age is up to 10%, which represents a main factor for continuous HBV transmission.
Highlights
The overall prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in China is declining
Community-based preliminary screening of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was performed for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive subjects who were older than 30 years old
The HBV infection rate gradually increased from 3.23% in those
Summary
The overall prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in China is declining. The purpose of this study was to use a community-based epidemiological study to update the infection status of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in mountainous regions of China, and to evaluate the impact of the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) on HBV transmission. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most common viral infections [1]. Almost two billion people have been exposed to HBV infection at some stage of their lives, and an estimated 240 million people are chronically infected. 780,000 patients die from advanced liver diseases caused by chronic HBV infection each year [2,3,4]. China has a high prevalence of chronic HBV infection. There is a significant difference in the HBV infection rate among different regions in China.
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