Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
VIRAL HEPATIT DERGISI-VIRAL HEPATITIS JOURNAL, cilt.15, sa.1, ss.26-30, 2010 (ESCI)
Chronic hepatitis B infection is an important disease causing cirrhosis, hepatocellular carsinoma and death. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted by four main routes; these are parenteral contact (percutaneous) with infected blood and body fluids, sexual contact, infection of newborn from the infected mother (perinatalvertical) and close contact with infected people without sexuality (horizontal). It is estimated that approximately 130-170 million people are infected with HCV globally. Our country is in the section where prevalence is between 1-1.9% on the world map. It is necessary to know and observe the changes in HCV incidences, in order to determine the magnitude of complications, such as chronic liver dysfunction related to HCV, which will affect the society in the future. For that, the most suitable step is the evaluation of age-specific prevalence rates. In the present study, 371 children (223 [ 60%] males; 148 [40%] females) who were between the ages of 0-15 years and admitted to Maternity and Children Diseases Hospital in Tokat province were included. HBsAg and anti-HCV positivity were not determined in any children. Anti-HBs positivity was determined in 281 (75.5%) of the children. Children were divided into two groups according to their age ranges. Group 1 (G-1) was comprised of 261 (70%) children who were between the ages of 0-9 years and born after the National Hepatitis B Vaccine Program (NHBVP) application, which has been conducted from 1998. Group 2 (G-2) was comprised of 75 (30%) children who were aged between 10-15 years and born before NHBVP application. Anti-HBs positivity rates in the G-1 and G-2 groups were found to be 77.4% and 84%, respectively; the difference was not statistically significant. There was also no statistically significant difference between the children living in urban and rural areas with respect to anti-HBs positivity. In conclusion, seroprevalence of Hepatitis B and C are consistent with the other studies in our country. Successful results ofNHBVP application will be obtained in time.