Prevalence of blood-borne viruses and hepatitis B vaccination status among haemodialysis patients in Central Australia

Prevalence of blood-borne viruses and hepatitis B vaccination status among haemodialysis patients in Central Australia Journal Article

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• Author(s): Ramaswami, Arun Prakas, Pawar, Basant, Pawar, Gitanjali, Brown, Megan
• Published: 2022
• ISBN: 2772-7076

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Abstract: Objective This cross-sectional study was done to determine the prevalence of blood-borne viruses and hepatitis B vaccination status in haemodialysis patients in Central Australia. Methods The study comprised nearly entirely of Aboriginal Australians except one Caucasian in Central Australia who had started haemodialysis between January 1996 and December 2019. Results Chronic hepatitis B infection was seen in 8.4% of patients and serological evidence of human T-lymphotropic virus 1 was seen in 28.3% of patients. The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C was less than 1%. The vaccine status of all 182 patients who had received hepatitis B vaccine was reviewed. Vaccine response was seen in 72.2% who received vaccine at birth or in early childhood. There were 99 patients aged 20 years and older who had received hepatitis B vaccines before their haemodialysis commenced. The vaccine response was observed in 88.9% of these patients. A seroconversion rate of 78.5% was achieved in vaccine naïve patients who received hepatitis B vaccine after their haemodialysis commenced. Conclusion The response to hepatitis B vaccine among haemodialysis patients in Central Australia was suboptimal and variable. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection declined after the introduction of universal hepatitis B vaccination in 2000.

• Urls: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772707622001230
• Keywords: Blood born viruses, hepatitis B vaccine status