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Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection among Malaysian population

Muhamad NA 1 , Ab Ghani RM 1 , Abdul Mutalip MH 2 , Muhammad EN 2 , Mohamad Haris H 2 , Mohd Zain R 3 Show all authors , Abdullah N 4 , Muhammad Azami NA 4 , Abd Jalal N 4 , Ismail N 4 , Mhd Yusuf NA 4 , Othman R 4 , Kamalul Arifin AS 4 , Abdullah MS 4 , Kamaruddin MA 4 , Abu Hassan MR 5 , Aris T 2 , Jamal R 6

Affiliations 

  • 1 Evidence-Based Healthcare Sector, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Shah Alam, Malaysia
  • 2 Center for Communicable Diseases Epidemiology Research, Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Shah Alam, Malaysia
  • 3 Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 40170, Shah Alam, Malaysia
  • 4 UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, 05460, Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia. [email protected]
  • 6 UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [email protected]
Sci Rep, 2020 12 03;10(1):21009.
PMID: 33273475 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77813-5

Abstract

Malaysia is a country with an intermediate endemicity for hepatitis B. As the country moves toward hepatitis B and C elimination, population-based estimates are necessary to understand the burden of hepatitis B and C for evidence-based policy-making. Hence, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B and C in Malaysia. A total of 1458 participants were randomly selected from The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) aged 35 to 70 years between 2006 and 2012. All blood samples were tested for hepatitis B and C markers including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), antibodies against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). Those reactive for hepatitis C were further tested for HCV RNA genotyping. The sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities were used to evaluate their associated risk factors. Descriptive analysis and multivariable analysis were done using Stata 14. From the samples tested, 4% were positive for HBsAg (95% CI 2.7-4.7), 20% were positive for anti-HBc (95% CI 17.6-21.9) and 0.3% were positive for anti-HCV (95% CI 0.1-0.7). Two of the five participants who were reactive for anti-HCV had the HCV genotype 1a and 3a. The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infection in Malaysia is low and intermediate, respectively. This population-based study could facilitate the planning and evaluation of the hepatitis B and C control program in Malaysia.
Study name: The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) project

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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