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Seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Bo, Sierra Leone, 2012–2013

2018; BioMed Central; Volume: 11; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1186/s13104-018-3218-8

1756-0500

Rashid Ansumana, Donald F. Dariano, Kathryn H. Jacobsen, Tomasz A. Łęski, Joseph M. Lamin, Joseph Lahai, Umaru Bangura, Alfred S. Bockarie, Chris R. Taitt, Chadwick Y. Yasuda, Moses J. Bockarie, David A. Stenger,

Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among febrile individuals tested at Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory (MHRL) in Bo, Sierra Leone.A total of 860 febrile individuals ages 5 years and older were tested by MHRL between July 2012 and June 2013 with a Standard Diagnostics Bioline HBsAg rapid diagnostic test. The overall HBsAg prevalence rate was 13.7%, including a rate of 15.5% among males and 12.6% among females. The HBsAg rate did not differ by child or adult age group (p > 0.5). The prevalence rate in Bo was similar to the 11-15% HBsAg prevalence rates reported in the past decade from other studies across West Africa. Scaling up the infant hepatitis B vaccination program in Sierra Leone will be important for reducing the future burden of disease and premature death attributable to chronic viral hepatitis B disease.