Hepatitis B sero-prevalence in children under 15 years of age in South Africa using residual samples from community-based febrile rash surveillance
Date
2019-05-31
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Abstract
Introduction and methods: Hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable disease and is notifiable in South Africa. Hepatitis B vaccination was incorporated into the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in South Africa in 1995. We used a convenience sample from community-based febrile rash surveillance in 2013 to estimate hepatitis B sero-prevalence. Of samples serologically negative for acute measles infection, 450 samples spanning nine provinces of South Africa were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc).
Results: Two children (2/450; 0.4%) tested positive for HBsAg. Three hundred and three children (67.3%) had evidence of vaccine induced immunity. Vaccine induced immunity was present in 80.2% of 1–5 year olds, but only 60.3% of 10–14 year olds. Natural immunity, indicating exposure to circulating hepatitis B, was present in 13/450 (2.9%) children.
Conclusion: Chronic hepatitis B in South African has decreased in prevalence from highly endemic levels prior to vaccine introduction to approximately 0.4% in this sample, demonstrating impact of a successful vaccination programme 18 years after introduction. Decreased vaccine-induced immunity with increasing age may reflect waning antibody titres over time.
Description
CITATION: Prabdial-Sing, N. et al. 2019. Hepatitis B sero-prevalence in children under 15 years of age in South Africa using residual samples from community-based febrile rash surveillance. PLoS ONE, 14(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217415
The original publication is available at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/
The original publication is available at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/
Keywords
Hepatitis B -- Children -- Incidence -- South Africa, Hepatitis B -- Serodiagnosis -- South Africa, Hepatitis B -- Immunological aspects -- South Africa, Fever in children -- Examination
Citation
Prabdial-Sing, N. et al. 2019. Hepatitis B sero-prevalence in children under 15 years of age in South Africa using residual samples from community-based febrile rash surveillance. PLoS ONE, 14(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217415