Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious global public health problem and responsible for most common liver infection worldwide. The infection if contracted early in life, may lead to chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine Hepatitis B Surface Antigenemia (HBsAg) and risk factors of transmission among apparently healthy asymptomatic individual volunteers in Jos metropolis. In order to estimate and further evaluate prevalence rate of HBsAg in our population of study, a well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain the social and demographic information of consenting participants, while ethical approval was sought and obtained. Two hundred (200) volunteer subjects were enrolled for the study, three milliliter (3ml) of venous blood samples were collected aseptically by venipuncture.Sera obtained were assayed for the HBsAg using the HBsAg test strip (Acon Laboratory incorporated USA).Confirmatory tests were performed for Serum HBsAg by using a third generation enzyme linked Immunosorbent assay (HBsAg ELISA)-(Bio-Rad Laboratories, Incorporated California, USA). Overall results showed a prevalence of 45(22.5%) positivity among subjects screened. considering gender 25 (12.5%) were males while 20 (10.0%) were females,(p = 0.020),Age distribution showed that subjects aged 25-29 years recorded a prevalence of 10(12.5%);(p = 0.001), this is relatively high in view of the fact that the study subjects were a apparently healthy population. Clinical risk factors showed that 2.5% of sero-positive subject had a history of blood transfusion(p = 0.480),while4.5% had a record of previous STD infection (p = 0.423).Serological markers among the apparently healthy individuals screened showed; 40 (20.0%), 29 (14.5%), 8 (4.0%), 20 (10.0%) and 38 (19.0%) for HBsAg, Anti HBs, HBeAg, Anti HBe and Anti HBc respectively (P< 0.005).Changes in liver enzymes among subjects that tested positive for the HBV showed that. the apparently healthy individuals recorded an abnormality of 13(28.9%) respectively, [P= 0.0144;( P<0.005)]. This study however confirms the presence of Hepatitis B surface antigenemia among apparently healthy individuals in our study locations. This calls for mass immunization and public health education on the dangers of this infectious agent in the population.

Highlights

  • 2.0 Introduction could progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been described as a reported that cirrhosis is present in majority of major public health concern, occurring endemically, hepatitis B patients and chronic viral hepatitis is said in all areas of the world (Maddrey et al, 2000)

  • This study showed that 9(4.5%) of the subjects screened had history of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD).Busch (2000) and Lee et al,(2006) confirmed that sexual and prenatal HBV transmission usually results from mucous membrane exposures to infectious blood and body fluids

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Summary

Introduction

2.0 Introduction could progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yang et al., Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been described as a reported that cirrhosis is present in majority of major public health concern, occurring endemically, hepatitis B patients and chronic viral hepatitis is said in all areas of the world (Maddrey et al, 2000). Chronic hepatitis is characterized by the presence of (Budhu, 2006 and Yang, 2011).HCC is reported to be HBsAg in the blood for a period above six months. The “third leading cause of cancer-related death in the chronic hepatitis B carriers may remain world”, with about 78% of HCC being attributed to asymptomatic as the infection remains inactive, this. Risk Factors and Prevalence of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Among Apparently Healthy Volunteers in an Urban Setting, North-Central Nigeria viral hepatitis of which HBV is inclusive (Yang, 2011)

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