Hepatitis B virus markers in dental care personnel practising in Harare

Abstract

In a seroepidemiologic study of 600 volunteers the authors detected serologic markers of hepatatis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) in 6 (6%) of the 100 denial-care markers representing a spectrum exposure to blood and patients. However, 67 (67%) and 1 (1%) were positive fa hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and hepatitis Be antigen (HBe Ag) respectively. Two (8%) of the 25 practising dentists were found to be asymptomatic carriers of HBs Ag. One of these HBs Ag positive dental-care workers was HBe Ag positive. The seropositivity of HBs Ag, HBe Ag and anti-HBs among the general population of 500 was 47 (9,4%); 15 (3,0%) and 350 (70%), respectively. It was, therefore, concluded that there was no significant difference (p < 0,001) of HBs Ag or anti-HBs between dental care workers and the general population. However, when the study group was subdivided into two ethnic groups, thus, Caucasian Zimbabwean and African Zimbabwean, the latter had a high prevalence (9,90%; 2,77%; 71,29%) of HBs Ag, HBe Ag and anti-HBs respectively.