Epidemiological and biological aspects of viral hepatitis B in Bangui. 782B

Abstract

Introduction :
Viral B hepatitis (HBV) poses a real threat to public health worldwide, particularly in Africa. It can develop into a chronic form and lead to complications such as cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. The objective of this work was to analyze the sociodemographic and biological aspects of the hepatitis B virus in Bangui, Central African Republic.

Patients and methods :
This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted over a 12month period (January to December 2023) at the Medical Analysis Laboratory of the Pasteur Institute in Bangui. Patients referred to this facility for tests including hepatitis B screening were included.

Results :
We recruited 1,049 patients. The average age of the patients was 39.36 ± 14.61 years. Males predominated, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.16. A total of 445 patients were HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) carriers, representing a prevalence of 42.2%, of whom 10.6% (n=46) were HBeAg positive. Anti-HBs antibodies were present in 60.4% (n=365) of HBsAgnegative patients. Cytolysis is greater than twice the normal level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) observed in 18.8% of patients. Isolated anti-HBc antibodies were found in 12 patients who were HBsAg-negative and anti-HBs antibody-negative Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV infection remains very high. The presence of anti-HBc antibody carriers warrants further study to gain a better understanding of this disease.