Hepatitis B and C Virus: Current status among health professional students in Mwanza, Tanzania - A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B and C viruses are recognized as major public health concerns, particularly among high-risk groups such as healthcare workers and students in related medical fields. Hepatitis infection can progress to serious liver diseases such as hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. However, there is a paucity of data on the magnitude of Hepatitis B and C among undergraduate students in clinical years in Mwanza hindering its control interventions. This study aimed to assess the current status of Hepatitis B and C infections and their associated factors among clinical students in Mwanza, Tanzania. METHODOLOGY This cross-sectional study involving 300 medical students was conducted between June and August 2023 in Mwanza city. Socio-demographic information and other relevant information of the study participants were collected using a structured pretested data collection tool. About 5 ml of blood for serum analysis was collected from each participant. Detection of HbsAg was by a one-step HbsAg rapid Test kit, and HCV SD Bio line was used for detection of HCV Antibodies finally data analysis was done using STATA version 15 software. RESULTS The median age for the study participants was 23 [interquartile range 18-46] years. The prevalence of HBV and HCV in this study was 2.7% (8/300) 95%CI [1.16 -5.19] and 1% (3/300)95%CI [0.21 -2.89], respectively and unprotected sex was significantly associated with HBV positivity with a p-value of 0.004. CONCLUSION In this study, we report a low intermediate prevalence of HBsAg (HBV infection) and moderate endemicity of HCV among clinical students in Mwanza, Tanzania. Moreover, unprotected sex was found to be significantly associated with HBV infection, while no factors showed a significant association with HCV infection.