Hepatitis B virus infection among Nigerian pediatric population

Hepatitis B infection has continued to be a growing global health concern in spite of the discovery and administration of hepatitis B vaccines over the years. The focus of this study was to evaluate the burden of this infection among asymptomatic pediatric population. Children, who visited the hospital between March and August 2018, were recruited into this study. Blood samples were collected after obtaining informed consent. The samples were processed and screened for HBsAg. Data were analyzed using chi-square statistic. Six (2.9%) of the 206 children in the study were positive for HBsAg. A hundred (48.5%) of the children were males and 106 (51.5%) were females in the ratio 1:1.1 (male to female). More male tested positive (4%) (4/96) than their female counterparts (1.9%) (2/104)(x² = 0.813; p = .367). Age group 13-18 years had the highest infection rate 6.6% (4/57), followed by age group 5-12 years with 3.8% (2/50). No HBV detection was recorded among those below the age of 5 years. Patients with no vaccination history had a higher HBV infection rate (4.2%) compared with those who had been vaccinated (1.1%) (x² = 1.164; p = .281). The study showed that HBV infection is of intermediate endemicity among the study population, a reflection of the endemic status of the infection in Nigeria. Vaccination effort among children should be sustained and intensified. We advocate for a more intensive public enlightenment on the infection especially among women of marriageable age.