Status of viral hepatitis in Uşak Province, Turkey: a 9-year retrospective analysis

Serdar Güngör

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Uşak University, Uşak, Turkey

Background: Viral hepatitis is a significant global health problem. Millions of people are affected by chronic hepatitis, and thousands are lost every year. This study aimed to determine viral hepatitis status in the Uşak Province of Turkey between 2009 and 2017.

Methods: The serological data from assays for anti-HAV immunoglobulin (Ig) G, anti-HAV IgM, HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs, anti-HBc (HBV core antigen) IgG, HBV e-antigen (HBeAg), anti-HBe, and anti-HCV were retrospectively analyzed in terms of gender and age distributions.

Results: The rates of positivity in assays were as follows: anti-HAV IgG: 73.89%, anti-HAV IgM: 0.77%, HBsAg: 2.51%, anti-HBs: 44.66%, and anti-HCV: 1.37%. Of anti-HBs-positive individuals, 33.33% were also positive for anti-HBc IgG. A significant decreasing trend was observed for anti-HCV positivity. The prevalence of HBsAg did not change significantly over the years, but significantly decreased in males. The anti-HAV IgG positivity and anti-HCV positivity was higher in females. The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in males. The individuals between the ages of 6 and 24 were the most sensitive group for hepatitis A infection. HBsAg positivity was the highest in the 55-64 age group (4.04%), and anti-HCV prevalence was the highest in the over-65 age group (2.89%). 

Conclusion: These results indicate that the prevalence of anti-HCV is low and decreasing, HBsAg prevalence is at the intermediate level and stable, anti-HAV IgG prevalence is high enough to provide herd immunity for the population in Uşak Province.