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Abstract
Hepatitis B is a leading cause of death worldwide. Here, we performed a large, population-based, cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China from 2011 to 2016 to assess the prevalence of HBsAg among couples of reproductive age, to predict subsequent trends, and to provide evidence for the WHO goal of "the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030". A total of 386,286 couples aged 20 to 49 years were enrolled in the study. Approximately 14.35% of couples were HBsAg positive, including 95.00% with discordant HBsAg positivity. HBsAg prevalence was higher in men than in women. Among different occupations, the two categories of “houseworker” (female 6.73%, male 9.99%) and “unemployed” (female 6.64%, male 9.94%) showed the highest HBsAg positivity. In different regions, the lowest prevalence appeared in southeastern Chongqing (female 4.87%, male 7.71%). In 2030, the HBsAg positivity rate is expected to be 2.79%, 7.27% and 5.13% in females, males, and the whole population, respectively. According to the trends, this rate would drop to less than 2% in 2034, 2078 and 2051. In conclusion, the HBsAg prevalence in Chongqing is still relatively high compared with that in other parts of western China, especially among reproductive-age men. HBsAg-positive couples should be taken as an important unit of care. Vaccination is necessary before pregnancy if no antibody is found. More attention should be given to people without stable jobs. HBsAg-positive rate will decrease perceptibly by 2030 and will reach the level of low in epidemic areas by 2050.
Highlights
Hepatitis B virus (HBV), chronic infection is a major risk factor for health because most infections lead to cirrhosis, even hepatocellular carcinoma, which creates heavy burden on society [1]
Our study demonstrates that 14.35% couples who planned to conceive in Chongqing were affected by HBV infection
Most of them had a discordant status of HBsAg positivity, which may expose the seronegative partner to a higher risk of infection [20,21], still making it possible to transmit HBV to an unborn child or other members of the family
Summary
Hepatitis B virus (HBV), chronic infection is a major risk factor for health because most infections lead to cirrhosis, even hepatocellular carcinoma, which creates heavy burden on society [1]. HBV is a leading cause of death worldwide, with 887,000 related deaths in 2015 [2]. Statistics showed that 257 million persons, or 3.5% of the world’s population, were living with chronic HBV infection in 2015 [2].
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