Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Adolescent Blood Donors within Selected Counties of Western Kenya

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus is a widespread public health menace approximated to have infected 257 million people chronically by 2015. Data on the prevalence of HBV is important in formulating public health policies on HBV control like safe blood transfusion. Adolescents aged 15 to 24 years, known to engage in risky activities associated with HBV spread, constitute major blood donors in Kenya. Notwithstanding current blood donation safety measures, HBV still remain hazardous transfusion-transmissible infections in donated blood. This study therefore was to determine the prevalence of HBsAg and related risk factors among this donor group. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2019 to August 2019 in Siaya, Kisumu, and Homa Bay counties. One thousand (1000) voluntary blood donors 18 to 25 years old were recruited. A predonation questionnaire was used to record their sociodemographic features and prior risk exposures. Blood samples were initially tested for HBsAg using Murex HBsAg Version 3 (DiaSorin, UK) and positives confirmed using ARCHITECT HBsAg Qualitative Confirmatory assay (Abbott Ireland) as per the manufacturer’s instructions. A result was considered positive if the first and confirmatory tests were all reactive. Generally, the prevalence of HBV was 3.4%, with no significant association between various sociodemographic variables and HBsAg positivity. Nevertheless, scarification and risky sexual behavior were significantly linked to HBV infections (odds ratio OR=8.533, 95%confidence interval CI=3.128‐23.275, p value of 0.001 and OR=5.471, 95%CI=1.925‐15.547, p value of 0.002, respectively). This study revealed a prevalence of 3.4% HBsAg among adolescent blood donors, with perilous sexual behaviors being the most significant risk factor, evidence that sexual contact still plays a major role in transmission of HBV among this donor group despite blood transfusion safety measures put in place. These study findings should therefore be put into consideration while framing health policies to mitigate effects of HBV infection on safe blood transfusion.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) among Blood Donors from Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

“…is finding is consistent with studies conducted in Ethiopia [43], Kenya [44], and Ghana [45]. e reason for this finding might be because that the crucial means of acquiring transfusion transmissible infections among voluntary blood donors in Africa is sexual activity, multiple partners being one of the main risk factors [46,47]. Advances in Public Health It was found that having a family history of hepatitis was significantly associated with HBV infection.…”

Occult hepatitis B virus infections and risk factors among school-going adolescent voluntary blood donors in Kwale County Kenya, January 2020–June 2021: Cross sectional study

“…This is most likely because this study couldn’t recruit enough females although similar studies in Ghana have reported a high prevalence of HBV infections among the female gender [ 25 , 26 ]. In contrast, several other studies reported higher proportions of HBsAg positivity among male blood donors [ 16 , 19 , 27 , 28 ]. The likely reasons for the different results were the different designs and settings employed by the different studies.…”

“…The prevalence of HBV infections was approximately 9% which is higher than the prevalence reported among young adults (18–25 years) voluntary blood donors in the three Kenyan Counties of Siaya 4.4%, Homabay 3.4%, and Kisumu 2.6% [ 19 ]. However, the prevalence was lower than the study conducted in Nigeria among secondary students who had a prevalence of 18.4% [ 20 ].…”

The burden of Hepatitis B virus infection in Kenya: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…As for study populations, 19 studies involved HIV-infected individuals ( 31 , 33 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 47 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 60 , 64 – 70 ), 14 in other high risk groups [4 in liver disease patients ( 23 , 35 , 39 , 77 ), 2 in drug users ( 46 , 57 ), 2 in MSM ( 74 , 76 ), 2 in healthcare/medical waste workers ( 53 , 59 ), 1 study each for STI clinic attendees ( 51 ), kidney disease patients ( 34 ), and febrile patients ( 49 ), and 1 study in a combination of five high risk groups ( 22 )]. As for the low-risk group, 10 studies were performed in blood donors ( 37 , 48 , 56 , 58 , 61 , 62 , 71 , 73 , 75 , 78 ), 2 in pregnant women ( 36 , 45 ), 2 in outpatients ( 32 , 63 ), and 3 in a community setting ( 38 , 42 , 72 ). In terms of regional distribution, Nairobi had the highest number of studies at 16 ( 31 , 33 , 35 , 37 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 45 , 47 , 51 , 59 , 61 , 66 , 67 , 76 , 77 ), followed by Rift Valley at 8 ( 22 ,...…”

“…As for the low-risk group, 10 studies were performed in blood donors ( 37 , 48 , 56 , 58 , 61 , 62 , 71 , 73 , 75 , 78 ), 2 in pregnant women ( 36 , 45 ), 2 in outpatients ( 32 , 63 ), and 3 in a community setting ( 38 , 42 , 72 ). In terms of regional distribution, Nairobi had the highest number of studies at 16 ( 31 , 33 , 35 , 37 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 45 , 47 , 51 , 59 , 61 , 66 , 67 , 76 , 77 ), followed by Rift Valley at 8 ( 22 , 38 , 44 , 50 , 52 , 58 , 63 , 78 ), Coast at 7 ( 41 , 43 , 46 , 49 , 55 , 68 , 74 ), Nyanza at 6 ( 56 , 62 , 64 , 70 , 75 , 77 ), Central 3 ( 32 , 69 , 73 ), and the Eastern region at 1 study ( 53 ). No study was reported from the North Eastern and Western regions and one study did not specify the location ( 71 ), whereas 8 studies were multi-regional or nationwide ( 23 , 36 , 48 , 54 , 57 ,...…”