Hepatitis B and C Viral Infections among Individuals Attending Tobruk Medical Center, Tobruk (2003 – 2016)

الملخص

Hepatitis B and C viral infections are major public health problem in the world including Libya. Concerns regarding
transmission of these pathogens in healthcare settings have grown, especially since the uprising of 2011. These
concerns are related to lack of financial resources, preventive policies and increased number of illegal immigrants
from endemic areas. To determine seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infections among individuals who attended
Tobruk main hospital in Libya, from January 2003 to December 2016; and to raise awareness about the transmission
of these viral infections in order to promote better preventive measures.
A cross sectional study of serological assays including HBs Ag and anti-HCV were performed on 343,833 individuals
from different nationalities and regions, who attended Tobruk Medical Center for different medical or surgical
conditions from January 2003 to December 2016.
Over 14 years, out 343,833 blood sample records, about 909 (0.3%) samples were positive with either HCV or HBV.
Among 909 samples infected with HBV or HCV, there were 409 males, (45%) and 500 females (55%), and most
(91.1%) of them were Libyan. The frequency of Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBs Ag) was 35.2% and anti-HCV was
64.8%.
About 0.3% of individuals who attended Tobruk Medical Center from 2003 to 2016 were having either HBV or HCV
seromarkers. A significant decrease of these infections has been observed since 2011. A further study for monitoring
the spread of hepatitis infection in healthcare settings is recommended. Strict precautionary measures should be
applied for the care of all patients in order to prevent transmission of these viral infections in healthcare settings.