Hepatitis B Serological Markers in a Saudi Arabian Patient Population and their Implications for Health Care Workers

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Abstract
The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence rate of hepatitis B in the patient population and the risk of contracting hepatitis B by health care workers in this comprehensive care hospital. The sera of 500 consecutive admissions were tested for hepatitis B serological markers using sensitive radioimmunoassay methods. The significant positive results show: hepatitis B ‘surface’ antigen (HBsAg), 8.8%; anti-HBc (‘core’ alone), 3.4%; and, anti-HBs 46.6%. There was at least one positive hepatitis B virus marker in 56.6% of those tested. The presence of HB‘e’Ag, suggesting high infectivity, was detected in 9% of HBsAg positive sera. An 8.8% HBsAg and 3.4% anti-HBc (alone) detection rate gives a total of 12.2% of patients who potentially may transmit hepatitis B to health care workers at this hospital. This is significantly higher than the 0.3 to 2% reported from U.S general metropolitan hospitals. The presence of a hepatitis B marker in 56.6% of the patient population places health care workers of this hospital at considerable risk of contracting hepatitis B, compared to that in North American hospitals. MeSH KEYWORDS: Hepatitis B serological markers, Hepatitis B - Saudi Arabia