Seroprevalence of HBV and HCV markers among young adult males in the Air Force in Florianópolis, South Brazil

Ana Maria Passos,Celso Spada,Aricio Treitinger,Miguel Strazer Neto

doi:10.1590/s1984-82502012000200009

Ana Maria Passos, Celso Spada + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-82502012000200009

Copy DOI

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) serological markers of infection in young adults from the metropolitan region of Florianópolis who were conscripts of the Air Base of Florianópolis in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. A population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence study was conducted with 371 young males during a one year period starting in June 2009. Demographic characteristics, socio-economic characteristics and possible risk factors to HBV and HCV were assessed. Blood samples were analyzed for HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HCV and anti-HBs through automated microparticle enzymatic immunoassays (Abbott®, AxSYM System, Wiesbaden, Germany). None of the participants showed positivity to HBsAg or anti-HCV. The prevalence of anti-HBc was 1.6% (95% CI 0.6 - 3.5), and the prevalence of anti-HBs was 40.7% (95% CI 35.7 - 45.9). Unsafe sex was associated with positive anti-HBc in a bivariate analysis. There was a very low prevalence of past HBV infection and no cases of past HCV infection in a young adult population in the metropolitan region of Florianópolis. The very low prevalence of markers of infection and risk factors indicates a very optimistic future with respect to HBV and HCV infection in this population.

Highlights

Infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are still major public health problems andThe World Health Organization (2009) estimates that, currently, more than two billion people worldwide have been infected with HBV, and of these people, ap-A
The main findings of this study were the low prevalence of HBV serological markers of infection in young males who were born prior to the implementation of the vaccination against hepatitis B in this region, which is highly comparable to that of children and adolescents in the same region, from 10- to 16-year-old with a high immunization rate (90%), (HBsAg (0%) and anti-HBc [0.5% (95%confidence interval (CI) 0.1 – 1.9)]) (Voigt et al, 2010)
In accord with the National Health and Nutritional examination survey, anti-HBc positivity alone indicates past contact with the virus, and the negative HBsAg in all cases demonstrates that the virus had already been cleared from the organism (McQuillan et al, 1999)

Summary

Introduction

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HBV and HCV serological markers in young adults of the MRF, who were conscripts of the Air Base of Florianópolis in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion