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Hepatitis B seroprevalence among children in a Turkish hospital
F Cetinkaya1, N Gürses, F Oztürk
1Ondokuz Mayis University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Samsun, Turkey.
Insights
Hepatitis B infection is common in regional children, with seroprevalence increasing by age. Vaccination is crucial as no children studied were immunized against Hepatitis B.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Hepatology
Background:
- Hepatitis B poses a significant global health challenge, particularly in pediatric populations.
- Understanding the epidemiology of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children is vital for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) in children from a specific region.
- To investigate the association between age and Hepatitis B seroprevalence in the pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect HBsAg and anti-HBs.
- A cohort of 1316 children aged one month to 16 years was studied.
Main Results:
- The seroprevalence of HBsAg was 3.2% and anti-HBs was 13.3%.
- Both HBsAg and anti-HBs seroprevalence demonstrated an increasing trend with age.
- None of the participating children had received the Hepatitis B vaccine.
Conclusions:
- Hepatitis B represents a considerable public health issue within the studied region.
- Universal vaccination against Hepatitis B is strongly recommended for all children to mitigate disease spread.
Abstract:
Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods in 1316 patients from Onkoduz Mayis University Children's Hospital to investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis B in children from our region. The age range was from one month to 16 years. Seroprevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs was 3.2 and 13.3%, and increased with age. None of the children had received hepatitis B vaccine. Hepatitis B is an important health problem in our region, and all children should be vaccinated.