Prevalence of hepatitis B infection and factors associated in children of Ivorian HBsAg carrier subjects

Abstract

<span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:10pt;">Aims of the Study: 1) Determine the Prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children (contact subjects) of chronic Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier subjects (index subjects); 2) Search for factors associated with HBV infection in these children. Patients and Methods: Retrospective-crosssectional study (January 5th, 2006 through December 31st, 2012). Studied parameters: biological and clinical characteristics of index subjects; Prevalence of HBsAg and Hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) in their children. Search for the HBV infection associated factors in the children (univariate analyses through Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test; multivariate analysis through a backward logistic regression). Results: Our 44 subjects’ median age was 43.1 ± 7.49 years and 88.6% of them lived with a spouse. Average number of children per index subjects was 2.3 ± 1.1. Our 92 children’s median age was 9.3 ± 4.55 (ranging from 1 to 15 years), and 43 (44.8%) were vaccinated against HBV. HBV infection prevalence was 24% (23/96 of which, 4 were HBsAg positive and 19 HBcAb positive subjects without HBsAg). Independent factors associated with HBV infection in children of index subjects were HBV DNA for index subjects >2000 IU/ml (OR = 11.5; p = 0.001), existence of HBV in two parents (OR = 7.9; p = 0.03) and absence of HBV vaccination in the children (OR = 30.9; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Immunization coverage for children of index subjects was insufficient, especially before the introduction of HBV vaccine into the enlarged vaccination program. Outside vertical transmission, those children were more exposed to HBV intrafamilial transmission risk when they were not immunized against HBV, when both parents were infected and when HBV viremia in index subjects was higher than 2000 IU/ml.</span

Treatment of Chronic Viral Hepatitis with Pegylated Interferon in Ivory Coast

“…The average age of our patients was 49.2 years. They were 42.3 years old for VHB which is consistent with other studies carried out in Côte d'Ivoire that found an average age of 42 years for chronic carriers of HBs Ag [9] and 40 [10], in France HBV patients had a median age of 44 years [11]. Our HCV patients were on average 51.9 years old, in line with SOMBIE et al who found an average age of 51 ± 6.9 years in HCV patients put on treatment [6] and a study in Morocco where HCV patients were on average 52 years old [12], in Tunisia the average age of HCV patients was 50 years [13] and 53.1 ± 8.1 years in Cameroon [7].…”

Hepatitis B Envelope Antigen in Children and Adults with Hepatitis B Infection in Tertiary Health Facility in North East Nigeria During the Period 2000-2015

“…Earlier [40][41][42] and recent reports [43][44][45][46][47] from Nigeria and studies from Ghana [36], Sierra Leone [37], Cameroon [38], and Cote D'viore [39] showed age-related increase in prevalence of HBsAg.…”

“…However recent studies of Hepatitis B in different children's populations in the West African sub-region reported prevalence of 12.3% in Ghana [36], 13.7% in Sierra Leone [37], 20.5% in Cameroon [38] and 4% in Cote Dviore [39]. These reports had small sample sizes, limited sex and age ranges and short study duration, but contributory to HBV epidemiology in the region.…”