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Virachith S, Phakhounthong K, Khounvisith V, Mayxay M, Kounnavong S, Sayasone S, Hübschen JM, Black AP
Hepatitis B Virus Exposure, Seroprotection Status, and Susceptibility in Health Care Workers From Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Cross-Sectional Study
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Hepatitis B virus exposure, vaccination status and susceptibility in Healthcare Workers from Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Cross-Sectional Study
Siriphone Virachith;
Khanxayaphone Phakhounthong;
Vilaysone Khounvisith;
Mayfong Mayxay;
Sengchanh Kounnavong;
Somphou Sayasone;
Judith M. Hübschen;
Antony P. Black
ABSTRACT
Background:
Despite high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adults in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Lao healthcare workers (HCWs) were previously been shown to have low levels of protection against infection. Furthermore, the prevalence of hepatitis D virus (HDV; which increases disease severity in HBV infected individuals) is not known in Lao PDR.
Objective:
To investigate the exposure, vaccination status and seroprotection against HBV as well as exposure to HDV in Lao healthcare workers from five provinces
Methods:
In 2020, 666 HCWs aged 20-65 years old from five provinces of the Lao PDR were recruited and sera were tested by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine their HBV and HDV co-infection status.
Results:
HBV exposure, as indicated by the presence of anti-HB core (anti-HBc) antibodies, was 40% overall and significantly higher for HCWs from Oudomxay province (67.7%, P=.001). The seroprevalence of HBsAg was 5.4% overall and increased with age from 3.6% in those aged ≤ 30 years to 6.8% in those aged ≥ 50 years. Only 28.7% of participants had serological indication of immunization. We could find no evidence for HDV exposure in the current study.
Conclusions:
We recommend strengthening the national vaccination program for HCWs and implementing pre-employment testing.
Citation
Please cite as:
Virachith S, Phakhounthong K, Khounvisith V, Mayxay M, Kounnavong S, Sayasone S, Hübschen JM, Black AP
Hepatitis B Virus Exposure, Seroprotection Status, and Susceptibility in Health Care Workers From Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Cross-Sectional Study