Alo M. N., Alhassan H. M., Saidu A. Y., Ugah U. I. and Abdulahi H.
Hepatitis B virus infection is a salient occupational hazard for health workers. It has been estimated that about two billion people worldwide have been infected with the virus. It is the 10th leading cause of death worldwide and results in 500,000 to 1.2million deaths per year due to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The presence of HBsAg in serum or plasma is an indication of active Hepatitis B infection, either acute or chronic. Healthcare workers, of which medical students are a part of, are at high risk of encountering accidental needle prick injuries, blood and body fluid exposure and hence acquiring blood borne infections, especially Hepatitis B and C, which may be followed by serious long term sequelae in a significant number of cases. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence rate of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among the medical students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, attending Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto. 245 medical students participated in this study, qualitative detection of HBsAg was done using one step HBsAg rapid test strips (DiaSpot Diagnostics, USA) and (Clinotech Diagnostics, Richmond, Canada). Results were correlated and reported as positive or negative. Among the 245 samples analyzed, 38samples were positive for HBsAg accounting for a prevalence rate of 15.5%. This prevalence was however statistically non – significant (p�?�?��?�?0.05). The major risk factors of hepatitis B transmission among medical students include unprotected exposure body fluids, blood and blood products as well as lack of vaccination.
