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Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B and Tetanus among Ezidian (Yazidi) Women Fleeing War

Journal: Acta Microbiologica Bulgarica (Vol.34, No. 2)

Publication Date:

Authors : ;

Page : 100-105

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Abstract

Women suffer much from wars and forced migrations. In 2014, Ezidians (Yazidis) living in Iraq migrated to Syria and then to Turkey due to civil war. Tetanus is a bacterial infection caused by Clostridium tetani spores getting into the body. Hepatitis B is an infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. Both hepatitis B and tetanus are vaccine-preventable diseases. We aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of tetanus and hepatitis B among Yazidi women who had fled to our country and have been living in a tent city. This study was conducted in Diyarbakır province, located in Southeastern Turkey, between July 2015 and February 2016. A total of 245 Yazidi women aged between 15 and 49 years, living in a tent city, were included. HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBcIgG were studied by ELISA method with Cobas e 601 (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland) system autoanalyzer. Antibodies to tetanus toxin were tested by ELISA method with the Virotech ELISA tetanus (Virotech, Germany). Of the 245 women, 38 (15.5%) had vaccine-induced immunity, while 11 (4.5%) had antibodies against hepatitis B due to previous exposure. Two women (0.8%) had isolated anti-HBcIgG positivity. Among 245 women, 96 (39.2%) had anti- tetanus antibodies. This population was notably susceptible to both tetanus and hepatitis B. Vaccination of this sensitive population was important for the well-being of the women, their spouses and children to be born.

Last modified: 2020-08-01 04:03:17