Hepatitis B infection control in Colombian Amazon after 15?years of hepatitis B vaccination. Effectiveness of birth dose and current prevalence

Autores organización

• Alexandra Porras Ramirez

  Autor

Autores

• Garcia D.
• Rico Mendoza A.
• Alvis N.
• Navas M.C.
• De La Hoz F.
• De Neira M.
• Osorio E.
• Valderrama J.F.

Unidades de investigación

• Esclerosis múltiple y otros trastornos neurológicos

  Investigador

  Jaime Toro Gomez

• Grupo de Investigación Medicina Materno Fetal y Ginecología - El Bosque MMFG-EB

  Investigador

  Ximena Carolina Romero Infante

• Medicina Comunitaria y Salud Colectiva

  Investigador principal

  Alexandra Porras Ramirez

• Saneamiento Ecológico, Salud y Medio Ambiente

  

  Investigador

  Diana Marcela Sarmiento Senior

Resumen

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is highly endemic in the Colombian Amazon basin. In Colombia, the universal hepatitis B vaccination in that area has been active since 1993. The program targets children aged under five years. Newborns receive at least three doses, and in 2001, HBV vaccine birth dose was included. This study aimed to evaluate the advances on HBV control in the Colombian Amazon. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in children less than 11 years old in rural areas of the Colombian Amazon, in order to assess the current levels of HBV prevalence and evaluate the effectiveness of HBV vaccination. Participants were selected from villages scattered along the Amazon, Putumayo and Loretoyaco Rivers. Blood samples were taken from children. All the samples were examined for surface antigen (HBsAg) and IgG antibodies against core antigen (AntiHBc) of HBV. Data on HBV vaccination status and other risk factors were also collected. Results: Blood samples from 1275 children were included in the study. The positivity for IgG AntiHBC and HBsAg was 3.8% and 0.5%, respectively. It was observed that receiving a dose of HBV vaccine within 48 h after birth decreased the risk of HBV infection and carriage by 95%. Being born to an AntiHBc positive mother increased 8 times the risk of HBV infection (OR = 7.8 CI 95% 3.3–10.2) and 7 times the risk of HBsAg carriage (OR = 6.6 CI 95% 2.1–10.1). Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV infection and HBsAg carriage continues to decrease among children living in the Colombian Amazon. The high protective effectiveness of an HBV birth does suggest that perinatal transmission is important in endemic areas of Latin America, an aspect that has not been fully studied in the region. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

• Child; Child, Preschool; Colombia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis B Vaccines; Humans; Immunization Programs; Immunization Schedule; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Prevalence; Rural Health; Vaccination Coverage; hepatitis B core antibody; hepatitis B core antigen; hepatitis B surface antigen; hepatitis B vaccine; immunoglobulin G antibody; hepatitis B vaccine; Amazonas (Brazil); antibody titer; Article; birth; blood sampling; child; Colombia; controlled study; cross-sectional study; drug efficacy; endemic disease; female; geographic distribution; hepatitis B; hepatitis B vaccination; human; infant; infection control; infection risk; male; newborn care; perinatal period; population research; prevalence; priority journal; protection; risk factor; risk reduction; rural population; vaccination; virus transmission; hepatitis B; immunization; newborn; preschool child; preventive health service; rural health; statistics and numerical data; transmission; vaccination cov