World Health Organization Polio Regional Reference Laboratory

Abstract

Abstract: A previous study had shown that women farmers or those having farmer husbands attending Grimard Catholic Hospital, Anyigba were seronegative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (0.0% prevalence for HBsAg). We therefore designed this study to test the hypothesis that HBsAg seroprevalence among farming and non-farming individuals attending the hospital is the same. Two hundred apparently healthy adults attending the hospital were consecutively selected and screened for HBsAg including 106 (53.0%) females and 94 (47.0%) males aged 20 to 51 years (mean age = 35 yrs). The sera of the participants were tested for the presence of HBsAg using Diaspot® HBsAg test kit. The patients were categorized into farming and nonfarming groups based on the demographic data obtained with questionnaire forms. This study showed an overall HBsAg seroprevalence of 11.0%; with seroprevalence of 17.4% (n = 46) and 9.1% (n = 154) respectively for the farming and non-farming groups. Variables (gender, age and occupation) examined were not statistically associated with prevalence rates of HBsAg. Broad categorization of the participants into farming and nonfarming with their respective spouses also revealed no association (p = 0.19) with HBsAg seropositivity. Moreover, some of the women farmers and those having farmer spouses were HBsAg seropositive. We therefore concluded that farmers and non-farmers enrolled in this study were not different in HBsAg seroprevalence; they appeared equally susceptible to HBV infection. Our findings represent the endemic HBV situation in many hospitals in Nigeria. This study could serve to direct any national effort aimed toward reducing the HBV burdens of our local hospitals. The study will be of immense value as a public health tool for planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of HBV interventions