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Abstract
Despite chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection being the main cause of younger-onset complex liver disease including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Africa, very little is known regarding the seroprevalence of HBV in the Gabonese general population. This investigation aimed to provide strong epidemiological data and risk factors associated with HBV infection in first-time blood donors representative of the urban adult population. The screening of HBsAg was carried out using 4th generation ELISA kits. The overall seroprevalence of HBsAg was 7.28%. The frequency of HBsAg was differential and marked by annual variations in blood donors from 2009 to 2016. Seroprevalence was 2-fold higher among males versus females (OR = 1.90 (95% CI: 1.75–2.06), P<0.001). HBsAg seroprevalence was significantly higher in donors of the age group 25–35 years old compared to donors of the age group <18 years (OR = 1.64 (95% CI: 1.03–2.60), P = 0.04). The seroprevalence of HBsAg in family/replacement donors (FRD) was significantly higher than that of voluntary non-remunerated donors (VNRD) (OR = 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83–0.94), P <0.001). The simultaneous comparison of HBsAg seroprevalence with blood donation type, gender and age showed that the higher prevalence in FRD was significant only in males between 18 and 45 years and in females between 25 and 34 years of age. This study confirms the high endemicity of HBV in Gabon while identifying the most infected age groups for both men and women.
Highlights
The hepatitis B virus is responsible for a highly contagious infectious disease that is transmitted through sexual intercourse or from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding, blood transfusion
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an estimated 325 million people worldwide living with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), in which 60 million people were Africans [1]
We describe an 8 year study compiling HBV seroprevalence and risk factors associated with its transmission in a population of first-time blood donors representative of the adult urban population
Summary
The hepatitis B virus is responsible for a highly contagious infectious disease that is transmitted through sexual intercourse or from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding, blood transfusion. In spite of the availability of an effective vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV), this infection remains a major public health concern to date. HBV seroprevalence in Gabon directly or indirectly responsible for a high number of human deaths regardless of the age, gender or socioeconomic status in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an estimated 325 million people worldwide living with chronic HBV, in which 60 million people were Africans [1]. Liver cancers induced by chronic HBV infection cause the death of nearly 600,000 individuals each year [2]. Sub-Saharan Africans are developing liver cancer at much younger age and faster rate compared to Asians and Caucasians [3]
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