Seroprevalance of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objectives and Aim We performed a study on Seroprevalance of HBV among the patients attending a tertiary care hospital in India Background Globally, Hepatitis B is one of the most common infectious diseases. It is ranked by the WHO as one of the top ten killers. The virus is responsible for approximately 1.5 million deaths worldwide in each year, two thirds of which are attributable to primary Hepatocellular carcinoma following HBV infection. About 360 million people are estimated to be chronically infected with HBV. Methods Out of 4648 serum samples submitted to the Department of Microbiology at JSS Hospital Mysuru during the study period of one year from January to December, 284 samples were positive for HBsAg by ELISA. Results The seroprevalence of Hepatitis B infection in our study was 6 %. Conclusions The study showed a seropositivity of 6 % in patients attending this tertiary care centre, because there is lack of awareness and health education, negligence. Stringent blood banking laws need to be introduced. NAAT screening is currently in use in most of the developed countries but not yet mandatory in India.