Occult hepatitis B virus infection among injecting drug users in the Central-West Region of Brazil

The prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was investigated in 149 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative injecting drug users (IDUs) in the Central-West Region of Brazil. Of these individuals, 19 were positive for HBV DNA, resulting in an occult HBV infection prevalence of 12.7% (19/149); six of these 19 individuals had anti-HBV core and/or anti-HBV surface antibodies and 13 were negative for HBV markers. All IDUs with occult hepatitis B reported sexual and/or parenteral risk behaviours. All HBV DNA-positive samples were successfully genotyped. Genotype D was the most common (17/19), followed by genotype A (2/19). These findings reveal a high prevalence of occult HBV infection and the predominance of genotype D among IDUs in Brazil's Central-West Region.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Matos,Marcia Alves Dias de, Ferreira,Renata Carneiro, Rodrigues,Fabiana Perez, Marinho,Tamiris Augusto, Lopes,Carmen Luci Rodrigues, Novais,Antonia Carlos Magalhaes, Motta-Castro,Ana Rita Coimbra, Teles,Sheila Araujo, Souto,Francisco Jose Dutra, Martins,Regina Maria Bringel
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2013
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762013000300386
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