HEPATITIS B AND C IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS: PREVALENCE, RELATION TO VACCINATION AND OCCUPATIONAL FACTORS

Infection with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in occupationally exposed health care workers (HCWs) should be accepted as a realistic possibility. This study aimed at estimating prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections among health care workers with the final goal to encourage HBV vaccination of the non-immune Indian health care worker in a tertiary hospital. A total of 219 samples were screened from November 2012 to October 2013. They were screened for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag), and anti- HCV antibodies by the third generation ELISA. The HBsAg prevalence was 1.37%. Anti-HCV antibody was not detected in any of the health care worker screened. 63.47% of health care workers were not immunised. All HCWs who were positive for HBsAg were non- immunised. A moderate HBV infection rate and low HBV vaccination coverage were found in the study. India is a tropical country still endemic for HBV infection and new strategies to promote HBV vaccinations are to be adopted.