Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV in Police School Students

Introduction: Worldwide, approximately, 240 million people suffer from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 130-150 million people suffer from hepatitis C virus (HCV). In Turkey, an estimated 3 million people suffer from chronic HBV infection and approximately, 750.000 people get infected with HCV. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the outcomes of health screening in a young adult group of police school students, belonging to different parts of Turkey. The seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was assessed among this group. In light of the current data, necessary actions to be taken to prevent disease transmission are discussed. Materials and Methods: Police school students, admitted to hospital for check-ups between 2015 and 2016 were included into this study. Serum samples taken from the students were tested for HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV1/2, using microparticle ELISA method and results were analyzed. Results: A total of 3337 subjects were enrolled into this study of which, 2933 subjects (87.9%) were males and 404 (12.1%) were females. Mean age of the subjects was (24.5 ± 2.4) years. A total of 44 subjects (1.31%) were HBsAg-positive, of which 36 subjects (81.8%) were males and 8 (18.1%) were females. None of the subjects tested positive for anti-HIV, while 1 subject (0.02%) tested positive for anti-HCV. Conclusion: The population in the present study belonging to a young adult group included participants from all parts of Turkey. Thus can be taken as a true estimation of the seroprevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV among this group in Turkey. Considering the age group, the seropositivity rates of HBsAg and HCV found in our study indicate an important problem in Turkey, and thus, warrants further studies on this subject. Hence, it can be concluded that hepatitis prevention requires immunoprophylaxis, education, and preventive measures in target populations