Hepatitis B and C Virus among Health Care Workers in National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja, Nigeria

^1*Ya’aba Y., ¹Mohammed S. B., ¹Olatunji K. T., ¹Abubakar A., ¹Usoroh M., ¹Daniel O. C., and ²Abdulmumin A. R.

¹Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) Abuja, Nigeria.

²Department of Microbiology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria.

Accepted July 30, 2019

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in Nigeria have remained a public health challenge. They are major cause of mortality, especially in developing countries. Health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk of having viral hepatitis infections. This study was designed to determine the seroprevalence of HBV and HCV among HCWs at National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abuja, Nigeria. Two hundred and five staff members and staff on training in the employment of the institute as at 31^st May, 2018 were given health talk, counselled, referred to the Virology unit laboratory. Data were collected by administering a structured and self-administered pre-test questionnaire to every member of staff that consented to participate in the study. Blood samples were collected and screened for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HCV antibodies using rapid ELISA kits. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Among the 205 HCWs screened for HBV and HCV antibodies, 122 (59.5%) were males while 83 (40.5%) were females. A total of 197 clients were hepatitis infection negative, whereas, 7 (3.5%) were HBV positive and 1 (0.5%) were positive for HCV. No co-infection was observed from the study. Therefore, health talks/education should be encouraged in our health facilities.

Key words: Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, Health Care Workers, Administrative staff, Public Health Challenge, ELISA kits.

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