Prevalence of the hepatitis B surface antigen in a population of workers in Cameroon

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DOI: 10.4236/ojgas.2013.38057    4,479 Downloads   6,991 Views  Citations

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence in populations of blood donors in Cameroon is estimated at 6%-16%. As such, the Objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen in a population of bank employees, who represent a sample closer to the general population. In tests carried out both Yaounde and Douala in December 2011, we detected the hepatitis B surface antigen among 267 workers, including 151 men and 116 women of a median age of 37 years. The Results obtained revealed that the overall prevalence stood at 7.1%, with a 9.9% prevalence ratio in men, three times higher than that in women (3.4%). Subjects aged 20-29 years and senior staffs were more affected (each of them recording 8.1%). Potential nosocomial risks were detected mostly at the level of dental care (52.8%). Among the other risks of exposure, scarification (53.6%) was more frequent. A univariate analysis revealed an insignificant relationship with tattoos (OR 2.6, 95% CI 0.5-10.8, p = 0.2). These results led to the Conclusion that Hepatitis B surface antigen carrier prevalence in a population of workers in Cameroon is not different from that of blood donors. It is mainly due to early vertical and horizontal contamination.

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Andoulo, F. , Tagni-Sartre, M. , Noah, D. , Djapa, R. and Ndam, E. (2013) Prevalence of the hepatitis B surface antigen in a population of workers in Cameroon. Open Journal of Gastroenterology, 3, 323-327. doi: 10.4236/ojgas.2013.38057.

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