title: Hepatitis B virus prevalence and vaccination response in health care workers and students at the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: Hepatitis B (HB) is one of the most prevalent occupational infections in health attendance environments. According to the Brazil Ministry of Health, health professionals must be vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and provide laboratory proof of immunization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the seroprevalence of HBV infection and to analyze the response to vaccine by measuring serum antibodies against HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) levels in a sample of students and health professionals at the Federal University of Bahia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As part of this cross-sectional study, a campaign against occupational HB was launched in 2007 and vaccination and blood samples were collected for analysis of the following serological markers: HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HBs (measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay) and total antibodies against HBV core antigen (anti-HBc). The study sample comprised 766 people. Global seropositivity for HBV was 1.7%: 0.5% in the students and 8.8% in the professionals. In a group of volunteers, a serological profile compatible with postvaccine immunity was shown by 95% of volunteers with proof of vaccination and by 81.8% of volunteers without proof of vaccination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, this study shows that it is important to promote vaccination campaigns and improve knowledge and awareness about HB among health care workers and higher education students.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Immunology, PPGIm-UFBA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Schinoni
authors.forename: Jacy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Marco Antônio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos Rêgo
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Thomaz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Rodrigo Sousa
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Macêdo
authors.forename: Lucas Sousa
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Macêdo
authors.forename: Júlio César
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Betânia
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schaer
authors.forename: Juçara M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Simones
authors.forename: Songeli M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Freire
authors.forename: Raymundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paraná
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013334:Students; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines