Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Peyton Thompson; Jonathan B. Parr; Vera Holzmayer; Margaret Carrel; Antoinette Tshefu; Kashamuka Mwandagalirwa; Jérémie Muwonga; Placide O. Welo; Franck Fwamba; Mary Kuhns; Ravi Jhaveri; Steven R. Meshnick; Gavin Cloherty

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.18-0883

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Peyton Thompson^*, Jonathan B. Parr, Vera Holzmayer, Margaret Carrel, Antoinette Tshefu, Kashamuka Mwandagalirwa, Jérémie Muwonga, Placide O. Welo, Franck Fwamba, Mary Kuhns, Ravi Jhaveri, Steven R. Meshnick, Gavin Cloherty

^*Corresponding author for this work

Pediatrics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic throughout Africa, but its prevalence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is incompletely understood. We used dried blood spot (DBS) samples from the 2013 to 2014 Demographic and Health Survey in the DRC to measure the prevalence of HBV using the Abbott ARCHITECT HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) qualitative assay. We then attempted to sequence and genotype HBsAg-positive samples. The weighted national prevalence of HBV was 3.3% (95% CI: 1.8–4.7%), with a prevalence of 2.2% (95% CI: 0.3–4.1%) among children. Hepatitis B virus cases occurred countrywide and across age strata. Genotype E predominated (60%), and we found a unique cluster of genotype A isolates (30%). In conclusion, DBS-based HBsAg testing from a nationally representative survey found that HBV is common and widely distributed among Congolese adults and children. The distribution of cases across ages suggests ongoing transmission and underscores the need for additional interventions to prevent HBV infection.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	226-229
Number of pages	4
Journal	American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume	101
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0883
State	Published - 2019

Funding

Financial support: This work was supported by Abbott Laboratories, which performed the testing of samples for this study, by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to J. B. P., and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (award numbers 5T32AI007151 to J. B. P. and 5R01AI107949 to S. R. M.).

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Parasitology
Infectious Diseases
Virology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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title = "Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B in the Democratic Republic of the Congo",

abstract = "Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic throughout Africa, but its prevalence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is incompletely understood. We used dried blood spot (DBS) samples from the 2013 to 2014 Demographic and Health Survey in the DRC to measure the prevalence of HBV using the Abbott ARCHITECT HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) qualitative assay. We then attempted to sequence and genotype HBsAg-positive samples. The weighted national prevalence of HBV was 3.3% (95% CI: 1.8–4.7%), with a prevalence of 2.2% (95% CI: 0.3–4.1%) among children. Hepatitis B virus cases occurred countrywide and across age strata. Genotype E predominated (60%), and we found a unique cluster of genotype A isolates (30%). In conclusion, DBS-based HBsAg testing from a nationally representative survey found that HBV is common and widely distributed among Congolese adults and children. The distribution of cases across ages suggests ongoing transmission and underscores the need for additional interventions to prevent HBV infection.",

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AU - Parr, Jonathan B.

AU - Holzmayer, Vera

AU - Carrel, Margaret

AU - Tshefu, Antoinette

AU - Mwandagalirwa, Kashamuka

AU - Muwonga, Jérémie

AU - Welo, Placide O.

AU - Fwamba, Franck

AU - Kuhns, Mary

AU - Jhaveri, Ravi

AU - Meshnick, Steven R.

AU - Cloherty, Gavin

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

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Seroepidemiology of hepatitis B in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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