Prevalence of Occult Hepatitis B Virus in Premarital Samples in AlQassim Region

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatitis B infection caused by hepatitis B virus is one of the most important public health threats worldwide. The virusinfects the liver and can drive serious liver complications which may lead to death in most cases. In 2007, viral hepatitis classified by ministry of health as the second common viral disease with 9000 new cases (HBV 52%). The current rate of HBV in Saudi Arabia in 2019 was 14.58 per 100.000 population.However, in some cases, HBsAg appears as negative, which known as occult HBV infection (OBI). OBI can be defined as presence of HBV DNA in liverand HBsAg negative.This study aimed to investigate the rate of OBI in premarital screening blood samples, which can lead to raise the attention against this infectious disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals in Buraydah city during 2018. This study included random collection of 848 samples from both genders from different hospitals in the Qassim region. All samples weretested by ELISA technique,and DNA viral load was detectedusingQ-PCR. Results: Out of 848 samples,only 28 samples were with reactive anti-HBc,while820 samples were with non-reactive anti-HBc. Among reactive anti-HBc, there were24 samples with reactive anti-HBsand only 4 samples with non-reactive anti-HBs. There were 4 samples below detecting range among analysis of HBV DNA by Q-PCR Conclusion: Our study showed that the probable rate of OBI in Qassim region was 3.30% with no difference in gender or age group. Thus, it is recommended to introduce anti-HBc assay screening as a criteria of PMS