Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Hepatitis B Virus Detection
Published on: December 15, 2023
Hepatitis B prevalence in Brazilian waste pickers: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Gabriel Souza-Silva1, Marcos Paulo Gomes Mol1
1Fundação Ezequiel Dias. Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Objective:
To describe the hepatitis B prevalence in Brazilian waste pickers.
Methods:
We performed a literature search in the SciELO, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), PubMed and Web of Science databases using the descriptors: "hepatitis B" AND ("informal recycling" OR "waste picker" OR "recyclable waste collectors" OR "solid waste segregator") AND ("recyclable waste" OR "solid waste") AND Brazil. Epidemiological studies on HBV in Brazilian waste pickers published prior to February 2020 were included and evaluated for quality and bias using a funnel plot.
Results:
This meta-analysis consisted of five articles. Prevalence of HBV surface antigen seropositivity was 14% (95%CI: 6%-22%) in Brazilian waste pickers.
Conclusion:
HBV prevalence in Brazilian waste pickers remains high. There should be more campaigns showing the importance of vaccination and personal protective equipment use.

