Seroepidemiology of HBV infection among health-care workers in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

BMC Infectious Diseases

Table 1 Serological profile of HBV infection among health-care workers in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

HBV Serological parameter			Interpretation	Health care workers (HCWs)^a				P-value
HBsAg	Anti-HBc	Anti-HBs	Interpretation	Overall N (%)	Administration n (%)	Non-intervention^bn (%)	Intervention^c n (%)	P-value
+	+	+	Chronic infection (considered as healing infection)	2 (0.43)	–	2 (0.7)	–
+	+	–	Chronic infection	12 (2.57)	6 (6.7)	6 (2.0)	–
+	–	+	Possible HBsAg mutant	1 (0.21)	–	1 (0.3)	–
+	–	–	Chronic infection (isolated HBsAg)	14 (3.00)	1 (1.1)	5 (1.7)	8 (9.9)	< 0.001
–	+	+	Resolved from infection (naturally acquired immunity)	65 (13.92)	5 (5.6)	36 (12.1)	24 (29.6)	< 0.001
–	+	–	Isolated anti-HBc (possible HBsAg mutant or occult infection)	10 (2.14)	1 (1.1)	5 (1.7)	4 (4.9)	0.153
–	–	+	Isolated anti-HBs (immune due to vaccination)	54 (11.56)	6 (6.7)	38 (12.8)	10 (12.3)	0.285
–	–	–	Susceptible to infection	309 (66.17)	70 (78.7)	204 (68.7)	35 (43.2)	< 0.001
Total				467 (100.0)	89 (100.0)	297 (100.0)	81 (100.0)

HBV hepatitis B virus, HBsAg hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-HBc antibody against HBV core antigen, anti-HBs antibody against HBV surface antigen
^aThe number of samples among the study population (overall and each work type) according to the serological parameter together with its percentage
^bHCWs who were not exposed to materials contaminated with patient’s blood or body fluid in their routine work (e.g. ophthalmologists, dermatologists, psychiatrists, and allied health service personnel)
^cHCWs with exposure-prone procedures to HBV-related infectious materials (e.g. surgeons, gynecologists, midwives, dentists, laboratory staffs, and cleaning personnel)

ISSN: 1471-2334