Hepatitis b and c: an assessment of risk exposure and prevalence among preclinical medical students in Northwestern Nigeria

Background The risk of transmission of hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) infection is of particular concern among medical students training in high endemic regions. In this study, we investigated the risk and prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses among preclinical medical students in a government-ow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nigerian journal of medicine 2020, Vol.29 (1), p.62-68
Main Authors: Kana, MusaAbubakar, Omole, NanbenVictoria, Nmadu, AwawuGrace, Joshua, IstifanusA, Muhammad-Idris, ZainabKwaru
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
hepatitis b and c viruses
prevalence
medical students
sharp injuries
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Summary:Background The risk of transmission of hepatitis B and C (HBV and HCV) infection is of particular concern among medical students training in high endemic regions. In this study, we investigated the risk and prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses among preclinical medical students in a government-owned medical school in northwestern Nigeria. Methods We employed a cross-sectional studytargeting the whole population of preclinical medical students of Kaduna State University, Kaduna State northwestern Nigeria. Datawere collected usinga self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire and blood testing for HBsAg and HCV antibodies using rapid screening kits.Data wereanalyzed using SPSS version 22. Results A total of 133 students participated, and 79.7% of them had a previous risk exposure to injuries by sharps. The seroprevalence for HBV and HCV was 0.8% for both infections. Complete HBV vaccination uptake (3 doses)before enrolment in medical school was 18.8%. The knowledge that HBV infection is preventable was a significant determinant for the previous testing for hepatitis B and C. Conclusion Risk exposure to injuries by sharps was high in preclinical students. But their seroprevalence for both hepatitis B and C were low.
ISSN:1115-2613
DOI:10.4103/1115-2613.284897