title: Hepatitis B and C: neglected diseases among health care workers in Cameroon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Healthcare workers (HCW) are at risk of acquiring blood-borne viral infections, particularly hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV, especially in high endemic regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera from 237 hospital workers in Southwest Cameroon were tested for anti-hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), anti-HCV and (on a voluntary basis) for anti-HIV. Information on pre-study testing for HBV, HCV and HIV and pre-study HBV vaccination status was collected from these individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pre-study testing rate among participating hospital staff for HBV was 23.6% (56/237), for HCV 16% (38/237), and for HIV 91.6% (217/237). The pre-study HBV vaccination rate was 12.3% (29/237). Analysis of anti-HBc revealed that 73.4% (174/237) of the hospital staff had been infected by HBV. Active HBV infection (HBsAg positivity) was detected in 15 participants. Anti-HCV was found in four of 237 participants, HIV antibodies were detected in four of 200 participants tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBV and HCV are neglected diseases among HCW in sub-Saharan Africa. The vaccination rate against HBV was very low at 12.3%, and therefore anti-HBc testing should be mandatory to identify HCW requiring HBV vaccination. Testing for HBV and routine HBV vaccination for HBV-negative HCW should be strongly enforced in Cameroon.
authors.affiliation: Division of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Rostock Medical School, Ernst-Heydemann-Strasse 6, D-18057 Rostock, Germany. Carlos.Fritzsche@med.uni-rostock.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fritzsche
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hemmer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riebold
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klammt
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hufert
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Akam
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Kinge
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Reisinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies