TY - JOUR
AR - CMR-2019-1-102
TI - Predisposing Factors to HBV Among Pregnant Women Attending Some Hospitals in Suburbs of Kano, Nigeria
AU - Farouk Umar, Sadisu
AU - Ismai’la, Ahmed
AU - Olatunji Ayodeji, Abulude
JO - Clinical Microbiology and Research
PY - 2019
DA - Wed 20, Nov 2019
SN - 2674-418X
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.CMR.2019.01.02
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/predisposing-factors-to-hbv-among-pregnant-women-attending-some-hospitals-in-suburbs-of-kano-nigeria_CMR-2019-1-102 
KW - HBV, predisposing factors, serological markers , seroprevalence, pregnancy
AB - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) when transmitted vertically can be severe on neonates and life threatening. Among
others, risk factors for HBV include unprotected sex, needle-stick injuries and blood transfusion. The study
was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of HBV markers and associated risk factors among one
hundred and sixty consenting pregnant women attending some hospitals in Kano, Nigeria. Using enzymelinked immunoassay, sera were screened for HBV sero-markers and structured questionnaires were
administered to obtain sociodemographic data and possible predisposing factors to HBV infection. Of the
five HBV markers known, participants tested positive for four, which include HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAb and
HBcAb. All were seronegative for HBeAg. Ninety three percent (93.1%) tested positive for at least one
HBV marker and 6.9% were seronegative for all markers. Among those that tested positive for HBsAg,
54.5% (p=0.33) were housewives, 36.4% (p=0.53) had only primary school education, 72.7% (p=0.14) were
middle-class, none had previous knowledge of HBV infection and its mode of transmission, 54.5% (p=0.14)
regularly shares sharp objects, 45.5% (p=0.37) had ear or nose piercing, and 9.1% (p=0.01) regularly shares
towel and underwear. A large percentage of the study group had history of the infection while only 1.3% of
the subjects were vaccinated. Sociodemographic background of the participants, low vaccination coverage
and certain risk factors like the sharing of unsterilized sharp objects seem to aid the moderately high
prevalence of HBV in this study. The study also revealed that the risk of mother-to-child HBV transmission
is low in the study area and that incomplete vaccination may not confer artificial immunity against HBV
infection.