Epidemiological Surveillance of HBV and HEV among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal in Selected Hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
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Date
2025-12
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Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in pregnancy is associated with potential viral transmission from mother to newborn which often makes the newborn a chronic carrier of HBV. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes acute viral hepatitis with high mortality rate among pregnant women. The overlap of HBV and HEV can have more adverse effects which frequently leads to severe complications and poor outcomes in pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of HBV and HEV infections
among pregnant women attending antenatal in selected hospitals in Ibadan. A total of 297 pregnant women attending Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital and Akinyele Primary Health Centre, Ibadan were enrolled into the study. From each participant, 5ml of blood was collected and Alanineaminotransferase (ALT) was measured. The plasma samples were screened for HBV serological markers (HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcAb) and HEV antibodies (IgM and IgG) using ELISA assays. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Significance level set at P<0.05. Samples with serological evidence of HBV infection were screened for HBV DNA using the Real time-PCR
technique. Samples positive for HBV DNA were subjected to genome sequencing. The seroprevalence of HBsAg was 7.4%, HBsAb (12.1%), HBeAg (0.7%), HBeAb (6.7%) and HBcAb (7.1%). Thirty (10.1%) women tested positive for anti-HEV IgG while none had detectable anti-HEV IgM. HBV-DNA prevalence was 21/22(95.0%). No significant relationship was identified among HBV and HEV seropositivity in the pregnant women in terms of age, trimester, source of water supply, education, animal contact, previous history of Jaundice, previous histories of blood transfusion and previous surgical operation. HBV and HEV IgG co-positivity rate of 1.7% was observed, with significantly high HBV prevalence among pregnant women with elevated ALT level compared with those with normal ALT level. Following molecular characterization of the HBV gene, the viral isolate was genotype E, typical of the dominant HBV genotype in Nigeria; which maintains susceptibility to current antiviral drugs and also shows low-frequency mutations and polymorphisms which were not considered to have a significant effect on immune escape for genotype E within the study population. There was high prevalence of HBV infection among pregnant women which could increase risk of mother-to-child transmission. Also, a limited number of pregnant women with increased infectivity with HBV had high viral load which may lead to increase maternal and childbirth morbidity and mortality. Hence, the need to increase access to vaccination in pregnant women. Similarly, a significant number of pregnant women had been previously exposed to HEV, demonstrating the endemicity of HEV infection in Ibadan, warranting the need to intensify personal hygiene enlightenment campaigns.
Keywords: Pregnancy, HBsAg, HEV IgM, HEV IgG, ALT
Word Count: 425
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Keywords
Pregnancy, HBsAg, HEV IgM, HEV IgG, ALT
Citation
kate Turabian