Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2025 Dec 16:tpmd250128. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.25-0128. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
The epidemiological profile of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) infections has not yet been sufficiently documented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The aim for the present study was to provide a descriptive analysis of HBV and HCV seroprevalence and assess trends, as well as any possible cohort effects in Bukavu, situated in the eastern DRC. Using laboratory data from the Provincial General Reference Hospital of Bukavu, the results of all HBV (hepatitis B surface antigen) and HCV (anti-HCV antibodies) serological tests performed between January 2019 and December 2023 were analyzed. Patients were grouped by possible complications and divided into age groups to assess trends and the cohort age effect. Of the 38,033 specimens tested, 807/19,333 (4.2%) and 321/18,700 (1.7%) tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HCV antibodies, respectively. Both infections were more prevalent in male participants than in female participants. The average age of patients was higher for those with HCV than for those with HBV (P = 0.0001). For HCV in particular, prevalence comparison between patients born before and after 1960 revealed a statistically significant difference: 10.5% versus 0.8% (P <0.0001). The profile analysis of the viral HBV and HCV epidemiology in Bukavu revealed significant changes over the years related to the degree of exposure to risk factors. These changes could explain the observed sex-related disparities regarding prevalence, as well as the cohort age effect clearly observed for HCV infections.
PMID:41666461 | DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.25-0128
