Prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in blood donors and high risk groups in Hajjah, Yemen Republic

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B antigen and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in blood donors, hospital employees, patients suspected to have liver disease, and hemodialysis patients.

METHODS: This study was conducted from April 1997 through to September 1999 as a hospital based study in Hajjah, Republic of Yemen. All healthy blood donors, hospital employees, suspected hepatitis patients and patients in the hemodialysis unit were included in this study. The hepatitis B antigen (HbsAg) measured in IMX system (Abott) using the monoclonal anti-HBs assays. The Hepatitis C screened by the same system using HCV version 3.0 [Third generation (Recombinant HCr43, c200, c100-3, NS5)].

RESULTS: The screened blood donors for HbsAg and HCV were 7868 and 2434 with a prevalence of 9.8% for hepatitis B antigen and 1.1% for anti-hepatitis C virus. Two hundred of the hospital employees were screened with a prevalence rate of 1.5% and 0.5% for hepatitis antigen and anti-hepatitis C virus. The patients referred selectively for testing the hepatitis B antigen and anti-hepatitis C virus were 1229 and 749, the prevalence rate of HbsAg was 14.9% and 8.8% for anti-HCV, double infection (both hepatitis B virus and HCV) recorded in 8 patients forming 3.2% of the positives (in 0.4% of the total).

CONCLUSION: The prevalence was high in Hajjah governorate, Republic of Yemen in both the healthy blood donors and in the risky groups except the hospital employees.