Sero-Epidemic Survey Of Hepatitis B In A Population Of Northern Nigeria

The rates of infection of various hepatitis B virus serological markers were measured on the basis of age, sex and socio-economic activties amongst the community population of Mubi, a known border community in North-Eastern Nigeria. Sera of 992 subjects consistingof 613 males and 379 females were analysed by radioimmunoassay. The overall HBV exposure among the subjects surveyed was 40.3 %. The rate of HBsAg inecton was 9.0 %; 19.0 % for anti-HBs and 12.2 % for anti-HBc. The occurrence of HBV markers by age of the subjects showed that infants less than 1 year od had the highest HBV exposure rate o 439%; the rate declined at the 1-10 years age group and increased steadily thereafter with age until the i f i l f . > 51 years age bracket. The incidence of the HBV markers by sex o subjects showed that infection rates were higher in males (43.4%) thanin females (354%). The rate of HBs infection rose progressively with age and significantly higher (