Prevalence of Hepatitis B e Antigen Positive Cases among Hepatitis B Virus Infected Patients

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B is one of the most common viral infections affecting mankind. It is a major public health problem occurring endemically in all parts of the world. Nepal is a country with mixed prevalence of Hepatitis B virus infection. Prevalence of Hepatitis B in general population is low (Hepatitis B Surface Antigen 1% anti Hepatitis B Surface Antigen 8%) but moderate to high incidence of infection is observed in certain ethnic groups. Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was carried out among 100 consecutive patients in the Liver unit at Bir Hospital from 1st Baisakh 2059 to 31st Jestha 2059. The presence of Hepatitis B e Antigen was done by Enzyme Linked Immunoabsorbant Assay (ELISA) method. Results: Among 97 patients, 19 patients were found to be positive for Hepatitis B e Antigen indicating the percentage of positivity to be 19.6%. The Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Hepatitis B e Antigen were both found to be most prevalent in the age group of 20-29. Conclusions: The Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Hepatitis B e Antigen were both found to be prevalent in the most productive age group. So if they become carrier there is high chance that they would transmit the disease to their respective wives and hence to the newborn babies. Keywords: Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B e antigen; Hepatitis B surface antigen; incidence; infection; prevalence.