High rate of Hepatitis B virus infection among hairdressers in Ibadan, Nigeria.

This study was designed to determine the levels of HBV awareness and prevalence of HBV infection among hairdressers in Ibadan, Nigeria. Hairdressers and teachers (unmatched controls) in four local government areas in Ibadan were tested for HBV infection using ELISA technique. Dried blood spot (DBS) samples were collected from 171 participants. DBS elutes from the samples were tested for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). The rate of HBV infection was higher (p=0.005) among the hairdressers (13.0%) than teachers (6.0%). However, teachers were better informed about HBV (38%) compared to hairdressers (13%; p=0.0001). Differences in HBV awareness and occupation type were found to be significant (P HBVHB= 0.001). Hairdressers are at high risk of HBV infection and may constitute a major source of HBV spread among urban dwellers especially in areas where awareness is low. Routine HBV screening and appropriate interventions for hairdressers are recommended to interrupt HBV transmission. PMID: 28318369 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry - Category: Biochemistry Tags: J Immunoassay Immunochem Source Type: research