Prevalence of the hepatitis B surface antigen in a population of workers in Cameroon
- 1 University Hospital of Yaounde, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
- 2 Medical Center “La Cathédrale”, Yaounde, Cameroon
- 3 Yaounde General Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Uni- versity of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
- 4 University Hospital of Yaounde, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
- 5 Yaounde General Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Uni- versity of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
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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