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RISK FACTORS FOR HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
Author
Affilliation
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil / Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Epidemiology. Boston, MA, USA.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Epidemiology. Boston, MA, USA.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Harvard School of Public Health. Department of Epidemiology. Boston, MA, USA.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Departamento de Virologia. Centro de Referência Nacional para Hepatites Virais. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brasil.
Abstract
Background: Despite international efforts to prevent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection through
global vaccination programs, new cases are still being reported throughout the world.
Methods: To supply data that might assist in improving preventive measures and national
surveillance for HBV infection, a cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals referred
to the Brazilian National Reference Center for Viral Hepatitis (Rio de Janeiro) during a two-year
period. Reported risk factors among infected subjects ("HBV-positive") were compared to those
of subjects never exposed ("HBV-negative") to HBV. Two subgroups were further identified within
the HBV-positive group, "acute" infection and "non-acute" infection.
Results: A total of 1,539 subjects were tested for HBV, of which 616 were HBV-positive (79 acute
infection and 537 non-acute infection). HBV-positive subjects were more likely to be of male
gender (63% versus 47%); and to report multiple sexual partners (12% versus 6%) and illicit drug
use (IDU and/or intranasal cocaine use) (6% versus 3%). Among the HBV-positive subgroups, age
differed significantly, with 48% being under 30 years of age in subjects acutely infected compared
to 17% in those with non-acute infection.
Conclusions: The association of multiple sexual partners with past HBV infection and the age
distribution of currently infected subjects suggest that sexual transmission played a major role in
the transmission of HBV in this study population. Thus, vaccination during adolescence should be
considered.
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