Seroprevalence and predictors of hepatitis A infection in Nigerian children

Abstract

IntroductionHepatitis A infection is prevalent in developing countries where sanitation is still a public health issue. In Nigeria, there is no epidemiological data on children for this infection. A community based study was carried out to establish the seroprevalence and predictors of this infection in children.MethodsA community based cross sectional study was carried out in Akpabuyo local Government Area of Cross River State in southern Nigeria. Multi-staged sampling technique was used to recruit 406 children aged 1-18 years. Blood samples were analysed for anti-HAV total antibody (IgM and IgG) using a commercial Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay Assay(ELISA). A multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors that independently predicted the occurrence of anti-HAV total antibody. p value of < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsTwo hundred and twenty four subjects tested positive for anti-HAV total antibody giving a prevalence rate of 55.2%. The median age for those positive was 9 years and for those without evidence of HAV infection was 4 years. One hundred and one (45.1%) males and 123 (54.9%) females were positive. The study population was mainly of the low social class with 94.1%. After multivariate analysis, predictors of HAV infection were age and social class.ConclusionHAV infection was prevalent in the study population. Educational campaign is imperative and vaccine provision is advocated to further curb the spread of this infection.

Hepatitis A virus infection among apparently healthy Nigerian Subjects

“…The subjects within the age bracket 21-40 years had the highest positive result of 32(2.2%) which is in accordance with the work done in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria with the highest prevalence on the 21-30 years age group 84(5.5%) [10] kobah et al reported a prevalence of 55.2% in a study of children from a Nigerian rural community of lower social economic background [10]. Hepatitis A virus infection is often asymptomatic in childhood and its morbidity and fatality increase by age.…”

Demographic Study on Hepatitis A Infections among Outpatients of Selected Hospitals within Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

“…Moreover, one positive case was from a male and the other from a female. This is similar to the trend reported for HAV total antibodies among children in Akpabuyo LGA of Cross River State, Nigeria but with differences in prevalence rates probably due to differing number of study subjects, location, traditions and lifestyles [26,30].…”

Faeco-orally transmitted viral hepatitis in african children

“…20 Long duration of stay in the community, probably reflecting longer exposure to risk factors and the virus, predicted the infection. 8 Neither Ikobah et al 8 in Nigeria, nor, Escobedo-Melendze et al 21 in Mexico were able to demonstrate significant association between type of waste disposal and water source, and HAV infection in children. This may be because these amenities were almost universally poor in the populations they studied.…”

“…Ikobahet al 8 in southern Nigeria also demonstrated marked difference in prevalence rates between the socioeconomic groups with those in the low socioeconomic group having 6.5 times increased risk of infection compared to those in the high, with a 9% increased risk with every extra member of the household. 8 Crowded households is a major feature of the low socioeconomic group in Africa. 20 Long duration of stay in the community, probably reflecting longer exposure to risk factors and the virus, predicted the infection.…”

“…Similar to the Cairo study, 7 low social class and older age were predictors of infection, with 13% risk of infection for every one year increase in age. 8 Thus it can be argued that, unlike in Europe and North America, there has been no significant decrease in HAV infection in African children in the past several decades.…”