Prevalence of infections affecting the child among pregnant women in Yaounde, Cameroon

The health requirements of pygmies is poorly understood because of their continued isolation from the other tribes in Central Africa. This study was undertaken among the Baka pygmies of the Eastern Province of Cameroon to generate basic health data among them. A total of 141 adults (18-45 years) were tested for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to the surface antigen (anti-HBs), antibody to the core antigen (anti-HBc) and antibody to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). All HBsAg-positive sera were tested for the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody (anti-HBe). The presence of antibodies to the hepatitis D virus was determined in most of the anti-Hbs-positive sera, and some of the HBsAg-positive sera. In addition to these, previous infection with syphilis, measles, HIV 1/2 and HTLV were determined by looking for the specific antibodies. We found HBsAg in 14.2% (20/141), anti-HBs in 93.6% (132/141), anti-HBs in 52.2% (73/140), anti-HCV in 7.9% (11/139, measles antibody in 99.3% (139/140), antibody to Treponema pallidum in 13.4% (18/134), antibody to HTLV-1 in 10.9% (15/138) and antibody to HIV-1 in 0.7% (1/140) of the sera tested.

show abstract

“…About 13.4% of the pygmies had antibodies to syphilis. These results are similar to those obtained elsewhere in Cameroon (Ndumbe et al 1992a).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Infections among pygmies in the Eastern Province of Cameroon

Ndumbe

Atchou

Biwole

et al. 1993

Med Microbiol Immunol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These similarities could be explained by the fact that it is the same risk group that was studied and also the test used was similar in principle to the one we used in our study. We however expected this high prevalence and this is in conformity with the established fact that HBsAg is endemic in African countries south of the Sahara desert of which Cameroon is among [8]. This level of carrier state in women of reproductive age will suggest that there is a high risk of mother-to-infant transmission in the Buea Health District.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…The prevalence of HBsAg in pregnancy does not vary much from that in the general population [7]. In Cameroon, studies carried out by Ndumbe et al in 1992 and Chiaramonte et al in 1991 revealed that the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen was greater than 8% [8,9]. Two more recent studies in Yaounde, Cameroon, estimated the prevalence of HBsAg in pregnancy at 7.9% (in 2005) and 7.7% (in 2013) [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of HBsAg and knowledge about hepatitis B in pregnancy in the Buea Health District, Cameroon: a cross-sectional study

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundAlthough infection with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) remains a global public health problem, little is known about its epidemiology in pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa. This study sought to determine the prevalence of, and identify factors associated with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity among pregnant women in the Buea Health District (BHD) in rural Cameroon. We also assessed pregnant women’s knowledge about hepatitis B.MethodsA cross-sectional, descriptive study was undertaken. Participants were evaluated using a structured questionnaire with clinical examination and were then screened for HBsAg using a commercial rapid diagnostic test. Assessment of knowledge was done using a hepatitis B basic knowledge summary score.ResultsOf the 176 pregnant women studied, 9.7% (95% CI: 5.7%, 15%) tested positive for HBsAg. None of the risk factors assessed was significantly associated with HBsAg positivity. The hepatitis B knowledge summary score ranged from 0 to 12 with a mean of 1.5 (SD = 3.14, median = 0, IQR = 0 to 0). Only 16% of participants had scores greater than 6/12. The knowledge summary score of the participants was associated with the educational level (p-value = 0.0037).ConclusionThe high prevalence of HBsAg (9.7%) among women of child bearing age suggests that vertical transmission of HBV may be a public health problem in Buea Health District. Knowledge of HBV among pregnant women was poor. We recommend that all pregnant women ought to be routinely screened for HBV and that health education on HBV should be provided to pregnant women especially during antenatal visits.

show abstract

“…The prevalence of current HBV infection among unselected pregnant women from Ifakara, Tanzania, included in this study was lower than that reported from other areas of sub-Saharan Africa [Ndumbe et al, 1992;Roingeard et al, 1993] and similar to that from northern Africa [Hyams et al, 1988]. This study was not biased by the selective effect of targeting blood donors or risk groups from the community [Tibbs, 1997].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

Prevalence and mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis viruses B, C, and E in Southern Tanzania

et al. 1999

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hepatitis B and C markers were tested in 980 pregnant women, in the infants born to infected mothers, and in a random sample of 42 and 50, respectively, children born to uninfected mothers in Tanzania. Sixty-two women (6.3%) were positive for HBsAg and 15 (24%) were HBeAg-seropositive. Anti-HCV was detected in 49 women (5%), 15 (31%) of whom had detectable viremia. HCV RNA serum levels were low and only genotype 4 was identified. Sixty-six women (6.7%) were positive for anti-HIV, six of whom were coinfected with HBV and one with HCV. Anti-HEV was negative in the 180 women tested. At 8 months of age, HBsAg was detected in 8% and 2% of children born to HBV-infected and noninfected mothers, respectively (P = 0.2). Corresponding figures at 18 months of age were 31% and 21% (P = 0.3). When tested at 2 months of age, HCV RNA was not detected in any of the 43 children born to anti-HCV-positive mothers nor in any of 50 children born to anti-HCV-negative mothers. At 18 months, only one child, born to an anti-HCV-positive mother, had detectable HCV RNA. None of the infants born to women with HIV coinfection were infected with hepatitis viruses. This study suggests that exposure to HEV does not occur in southern Tanzania. The prevalence of current HBV infection in pregnant women from rural Tanzania is lower than in other sub-Saharan areas. In early childhood, HBV infection appears to occur by horizontal rather than maternofilial mechanisms of transmission. The prevalence of HCV infection is similar to that in other African countries. The results of this study show for the first time in Africa that mother-to-infant transmission does not play a significant role in the acquisition of HCV infection.

show abstract

Prevalence of infections affecting the child among pregnant women in Yaounde, Cameroon

Cited by 37 publications

References 8 publications

Infections among pygmies in the Eastern Province of Cameroon

Infections among pygmies in the Eastern Province of Cameroon

Prevalence of HBsAg and knowledge about hepatitis B in pregnancy in the Buea Health District, Cameroon: a cross-sectional study

Prevalence and mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis viruses B, C, and E in Southern Tanzania

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About