Sero-prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus among Prisoners in Khartoum State

Abstract

Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) which affects the liver. The objective of this study was to study the prevalence of HBV among Sudanese prisoners in Khartoum State. The study was conducted during the period between February and May 2017. A total of ninety (n=90) blood specimens were obtained randomly from female at prison of obstacles. 5 ml blood was collected from each prisoner. Plasma was obtained by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 5 min. The plasma was examined for the presence of HBsAg using Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA). Data was collected by a structured questionnaire, which include demographic data such as age, marital status, education level, peivous HBV vaccination, family history of HBV infection, previous surgery or jaundice or needle stick and sharing of some article such as razor and nail clip. The results showed that out of 90 blood samples investigated, 6 (6.7 %) were positive for HBsAg. The rest 84(93.3%) were negative. The study concluded that, HBV infection among female prisoners is intermediate (6.7%). And the level of infection is equal according to marital status. Further studies with large number of samples and more advanced technique are required to validate the results of the present study.