Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Nigeria has remained a public health issue and a major cause of mortality especially in developing countries. Vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus infection is thought to be one of the major routes of transmission in developing countries. In spite of this, routine antenatal screening for hepatitis infection is not yet practiced in many Nigerian hospitals. This study was undertaken with the aim of determining the prevalence of HBsAg antibodies among women attending ante-natal clinic at General Hospital Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. A total of one hundred and fifty women were recruited for this study between January and March, 2012 and were screened for anti-HBsAg antibodies using the one step rapid HBsAg Test Kit (Hypertec. Diagnostic, Germany). The anti-HBsAg prevalence was determined to be 4% (6/150) with the highest prevalence (7.14%) recorded in pregnant women aged 26-30 years. The trimester related prevalence of HBsAg was highest (5.88%) among women on their 2nd trimester. Statistical analysis revealed that age and trimester were not statistically associated (P > 0.05) with HBsAg antibodies prevalence. The findings of high prevalence of HBsAg in antenatal women in their 2nd trimester during which the fetus undergo certain developmental processes possess high risk to the developing fetus.
Highlights
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, one of the common infectious diseases in the world and a public health problem, infect the liver of hominiodea including humans causing inflammation and is 50-100 times more infectious than Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and ten times more infectious than hepatitis C virus (HCV), with many carriers not realizing they are infected with the virus, referred to as silent killer (Samuel et al, 2004)
Infection could be acute when it lasts less than six months and often leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma while the highest risk (8090%) of chronic infections have been found among infected neonates born to HBeAg positive carrier mothers followed by 30% of children infected before six years of age (Hyams, 1995)
Cirrhosis defined as a major secondary manifestation of HBV is usually apparent characterized by replacement of liver tissue by Fibrosis and regenerative modules often complicated with Ascites, caput medusa, hepatic encephalopathy and portal hypertension is defined as a primary manifestation of chronic HBV infection
Summary
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, one of the common infectious diseases in the world and a public health problem, infect the liver of hominiodea including humans causing inflammation (hepatitis) and is 50-100 times more infectious than HIV and ten times more infectious than hepatitis C virus (HCV), with many carriers not realizing they are infected with the virus, referred to as silent killer (Samuel et al, 2004). The seropositive for HBsAg transmit the virus to neonates but in women who are seropositive for both HBsAg and HBeAg, vertical transmission is approximately 90% (Vranckx, et al, 1999). Infection could be acute when it lasts less than six months and often leads to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma while the highest risk (8090%) of chronic infections have been found among infected neonates born to HBeAg positive carrier mothers followed by 30% of children infected before six years of age (Hyams, 1995). Acute infection in pregnancy has been shown to induce premature labour with its attendant effects including intraventricular hemorrhage (GambarinGelwan, 2007, Tse, et al, 2005) and intra-partum and post-partum haemorrhage from coagulation failure due to inadequate vitamin K dependent clothing factors production especially when prothrombin time is prolonged as in fulminant hepatic failure during chronic infections. This research is necessitated because of the high rate of miscarriages and pre mature births among all groups of child bearing women in this country
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
