Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus among students of Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Nasarawa State University, Keffi Nasarawa State Nigeria

Abstract

Hepatitis is a major viral infectious agent of public health importance. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus among students of the Faculty of Applied and Natural Sciences, Nasarawa State University. The study involved 200 participants randomly selected from the departments that constitute the faculty. Collection and screening of blood samples were performed using standard procedures. Results obtained from the study revealed a high prevalence of 13.63% HBV infection among students within the ages of 21-25 years. The result also showed a higher prevalence rate of 8.42% for students accommodated within the university hostels. It further revealed a higher prevalence rate of 8.57% for the married students. It was shown through this study that the prevalence rate was higher among male students (8.42%) than their female counterparts (2.85%). This study however revealed that common risk factors for hepatitis B infection among participants were tribal marks and multiple sex partners. On the other hand, this study showed that blood transfusion, tattoo mark and non-use of condom were not implicated as predisposing risk factors in HBV infection among the study population. From the outcome of this study, it can be deduced that age is a critical factor in HBV infection among students and thus must be given priority in policy formulations aimed at tackling the hepatitis B in the Nigeria the university.