Mirambo Mariam M, Mkumbo Emmanuel, Selega Hadija, Msemwa Betrand, Mushi Martha F, Silago Vitus, Seni Jeremiah, Mshana Stephen E, Kasang Christa
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied sciences, P.O.Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania.
Institute of Allied Health Sciences, Catholic University of Health and Allied sciences, P.O.Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania.
Arch Public Health. 2020 Aug 18;78:76. doi: 10.1186/s13690-020-00459-2. eCollection 2020.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the vaccination against Hepatitis B virus in all infants and children up to the age of 18 years. In addition, adults in high-risk groups should also be vaccinated. This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infections among health professional students in the city of Mwanza, Tanzania in order to provide data that can assist in devising prevention and control strategies in this special group.
A cross-sectional study involving health professional students of the Catholic University of health and Allied Sciences was conducted between April and July 2016. Hepatitis B surface antigen was detected using rapid antigen test while the anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies(anti-HBs) were quantified using Enzygnost Anti-HBs II assay and anti-HBV core antibodies tested using enzyme immunoassay.
A total of 1211 health professional students with median age of 22 interquartile range (IQR):21-24 years were enrolled. The slighlty majority (57.5%) of these students were males and 475(39.2%) were in clinical practices. Out of 1211 students, 37 (3.1%) were Hepatitis B surface antigen positive. Of 1174 students tested for anti-HBs, 258 (22%) had titres > 10 IU/L indicating HBV immunity. The median anti-HBs titres was 47.7 IU/L(IQR:16-3-113). A total of 230(89.2%) students among those who were positive for anti-HBs were also positive for HBV core antibodies indicating HBV natural infections. Male sex (adjusted odd ratio(AOR):1.77, < 0.000), being married (AOR:1.82, = 0.002) and being in clinical practices (AOR:1.39, = 0.028) independenlty predicted anti-HBs positivity.
A significant proportion of health professional students was naturally immune to Hepatitis B virus. There is a need to measure anti-HBs in order to reduce the cost of unnecessary vaccination especially in the countries with high endemicity of HBV.
世界卫生组织（WHO）建议对所有18岁以下的婴幼儿进行乙肝病毒疫苗接种。此外，高危人群中的成年人也应接种疫苗。本研究调查了坦桑尼亚姆万扎市卫生专业学生中乙肝病毒（HBV）感染的患病率及相关因素，以便提供有助于制定该特殊群体预防和控制策略的数据。
2016年4月至7月对天主教健康与联合科学大学的卫生专业学生进行了一项横断面研究。使用快速抗原检测法检测乙肝表面抗原，同时使用酶免疫法检测抗乙肝表面抗体（抗-HBs）并进行定量，使用酶免疫法检测抗-HBV核心抗体。
共纳入1211名卫生专业学生，中位年龄为22岁，四分位间距（IQR）为21-24岁。这些学生中略多数（57.5%）为男性，475名（39.2%）正在临床实习。在1211名学生中，37名（3.1%）乙肝表面抗原呈阳性。在1174名检测抗-HBs的学生中，258名（22%）滴度>10 IU/L，表明具有HBV免疫力。抗-HBs滴度中位数为47.7 IU/L（IQR：16.3-113）。抗-HBs呈阳性的学生中共有230名（89.2%）HBV核心抗体也呈阳性，表明为HBV自然感染。男性（调整比值比[AOR]：1.77，P<0.000）已婚（AOR：1.82，P=0.002）和正在临床实习（AOR：1.39，P=0.028）独立预测抗-HBs阳性。
相当一部分卫生专业学生对乙肝病毒具有自然免疫力。有必要检测抗-HBs，以降低不必要的疫苗接种成本，尤其是在HBV高流行国家。
