Determination of the prevalence of HBV infections in Shahrekord jail prisoners by EIA method

Subject Areas : Medical Microbiology

Farshid Paiedar ¹ (Health Assistant of Jail of Shahrekord- Shahrekord- Iran)
Elahe Tajbakhsh ² (Department of Microbiology Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University -Shahrekord-Iran)

Received: 2008-11-15 Accepted : 2009-01-14 Published : 2009-01-01

Keywords: ELISA, Jail prisoners, Sharekord, HBV,

Abstract :

Background and Objectives: Viral infections like hepatitis type B virus (HBV) is one of the main causes of blood born microbial complications in high risk groups especially jail prisoners with or without drug addiction. However, in this research the prevalence of HBV infections and also the possible role of different risk factors in HBV presentation were studied in Sharekord jail prisoners. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, the blood samples of 600 jail prisoners were collected and their plasma were isolated and stored in -20°C. The prevalence of HBsAg was determined by a third generation ELISA method in these collected samples. Also the possible role of different HBV risk factors like: sex, marriage, history of injected or un-injected drug addiction, prisoner ship history, history of tattooing, transfusion of blood and blood products, unethical sex relationship, and the knowledge of prisoners from the route of HBV transmission were statically analyzed by SPSS and Instat soft wares. Results: HBsAg was detected in 90 of 600(15%) jail prisoners. Also the relationship of HBV infection with multiple risk factors including: sex, marriage, history of injected or uninjected drug addiction, prisoner ship history, history of tattooing, transfusion of blood and blood products, unethical sex relationship, and the knowledge of prisoners from the route of HBV transmission were as follow: 14.66%, 9.5%, 7.34%, 3.17%, 4.66%, 4.0%, 1.16%, 1.0%, and 8.66%. Significant associations were not detected between HBV infections with history of drug addiction and types of drug addiction, prisoner ship history, unethical sex relationship and knowledge of prisoners from the route of HBV transmission. But significant associations were detected between HBV infections with tattooing and transfusion of blood and blood products. Conclusion: Detection of significant associations between HBV infections with tattooing and transfusion of blood and blood products and insignificant associations between HBV infections with different HBV risk factors and also diagnosis of different prevalence of HBsAg, announced the need of completed study in other jail populations.