Abstract
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes transient and chronic infections of the liver. Pregnant women with HBV represent a major reservoir of the virus in the community. Data regarding the prevalence of HBV in pregnant women and maternal transmission of the virus in Libya are lacking. Methods: Blood samples from 1500 pregnant women and 1510 cord blood of neonates at Tripoli Medical Center, Tripoli were tested for the different markers of HBV using ELISA techniques. Results: HBsAg was detected in 23 (1.5%) pregnant women and in 14 (0.9%) neonates. Although HBsAg was detected at higher rate in pregnant women aged >26 years (1.8% [22/1235]) than in pregnant women aged <25 years (0.4% [1/265]), the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). All HBsAgpositive neonates were born to HBsAg-positive mothers with a rate of maternal transmission at 60.9% [14/23]. The HBV markers total-anti-HBc, anti-HBe, HBeAg and anti-HBc-IgM were detected in 16 (69.5%) and 9 (64.2%), 11 (47.8) and 8 (57.1%), 5 (21.7%) and 1 (7.1%), and 4 (17.3%) and 7 (50%) of HBsAg-positive pregnant women and neonates, respectively. Conclusion: This study showed high rate (>60%) of maternal transmission of HBV among HBsAg-positive mothers in Tripoli. Because of the high risk of developing chronic HBV infection at birth among infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers, administration of HBIG in combination with hepatitis B vaccine as post-exposure prophylaxis for such infants is of paramount importance. In addition, universal HBsAg screening of all pregnant women will greatly assist in reducing the maternal transmission of HBV in the country