TY - JOUR
T1 - Hepatitis B Virus Exposure, Seroprotection Status, and Susceptibility in Health Care Workers From Lao People's Democratic Republic
T2 - Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Virachith, Siriphone
AU - Phakhounthong, Khanxayaphone
AU - Khounvisith, Vilaysone
AU - Mayxay, Mayfong
AU - Kounnavong, Sengchanh
AU - Sayasone, Somphou
AU - Hübschen, Judith M.
AU - Black, Antony P.
N1 - Funding:
We would like to acknowledge the administration of Institut Pasteur du Laos for its continued support, as well as Philippe Buchy, director of Institut Pasteur du Laos, for his review. Latdavone Khenkha, Bounta Vongphachanh, and Nouna Innoula from the LaoLuxLab were involved in sample collection and laboratory testing. Aurélie Sausy from the Department of Infection and Immunity, Luxembourg Institute of Health, was involved in laboratory testing. We would like to thank the staff of the health care facilities, the study participants, and the village heads for their participation and/or support. This work was supported by the "PaReCIDS III" grant from the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. Additional support was received from Agence Française de Développement, Institut Pasteur du Laos, Institut Pasteur Paris, and the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute.
Publisher Copyright:
© Siriphone Virachith, Khanxayaphone Phakhounthong, Vilaysone Khounvisith, Mayfong Mayxay, Sengchanh Kounnavong, Somphou Sayasone, Judith M Hübschen, Antony P Black. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org).
PY - 2024/12/17
Y1 - 2024/12/17
N2 - Background: Despite the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adults in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Lao health care workers (HCWs) have previously been shown to have low levels of protection against infection. Furthermore, the prevalence of hepatitis D virus (HDV), which increases disease severity in individuals infected with HBV, is not known in Lao PDR. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the exposure and seroprotection against HBV, as well as exposure to HDV, in Lao HCWs from 5 provinces. Methods: In 2020, a total of 666 HCWs aged 20 to 65 years from 5 provinces of Lao PDR were recruited, and their sera were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine their HBV and HDV coinfection status. Results: HBV exposure, as indicated by the presence of anti-hepatitis B core antibodies, was 40.1% (267/666) overall and significantly higher for HCWs from Oudomxay province (21/31, 67.7%; adjusted odds ratio 3.69, 95% CI 1.68-8.12; P=.001). The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen was 5.4% (36/666) overall and increased with age, from 3.6% (9/248) in those aged ≤30 years to 6.8% (8/118) in those aged ≥50 years. Only 28.7% (191/666) of participants had serological indication of immunization. We could find no evidence for HDV exposure in this study. Conclusions: The study found intermediate hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence among HCWs in Lao PDR, with no evidence of HDV coinfection. Notably, a significant proportion of HCWs remains susceptible to HBV, indicating a substantial gap in seroprotection against the disease.
AB - Background: Despite the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adults in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Lao health care workers (HCWs) have previously been shown to have low levels of protection against infection. Furthermore, the prevalence of hepatitis D virus (HDV), which increases disease severity in individuals infected with HBV, is not known in Lao PDR. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the exposure and seroprotection against HBV, as well as exposure to HDV, in Lao HCWs from 5 provinces. Methods: In 2020, a total of 666 HCWs aged 20 to 65 years from 5 provinces of Lao PDR were recruited, and their sera were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine their HBV and HDV coinfection status. Results: HBV exposure, as indicated by the presence of anti-hepatitis B core antibodies, was 40.1% (267/666) overall and significantly higher for HCWs from Oudomxay province (21/31, 67.7%; adjusted odds ratio 3.69, 95% CI 1.68-8.12; P=.001). The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen was 5.4% (36/666) overall and increased with age, from 3.6% (9/248) in those aged ≤30 years to 6.8% (8/118) in those aged ≥50 years. Only 28.7% (191/666) of participants had serological indication of immunization. We could find no evidence for HDV exposure in this study. Conclusions: The study found intermediate hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence among HCWs in Lao PDR, with no evidence of HDV coinfection. Notably, a significant proportion of HCWs remains susceptible to HBV, indicating a substantial gap in seroprotection against the disease.
KW - health care workers
KW - hepatitis B
KW - hepatitis D
KW - Laos
KW - prevalence
KW - Laos/epidemiology
KW - Prevalence
KW - Disease Susceptibility
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Hepatitis B/epidemiology
KW - Humans
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Male
KW - Southeast Asian People
KW - Young Adult
KW - Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data
KW - Female
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Hepatitis B virus/immunology
KW - Occupational Exposure/statistics & numerical data
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85213149309&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39689257/
U2 - 10.2196/65093
DO - 10.2196/65093
M3 - Article
C2 - 39689257
AN - SCOPUS:85213149309
SN - 2369-2960
VL - 10
JO - JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
JF - JMIR Public Health and Surveillance
M1 - e65093
ER -