The Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C Virus in Healthy Women in Zakho City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Brief Report

Infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are major global public health problems. Infection with such viruses is commonly associated with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of HBV and HCV in women in Zakho City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

A cross sectional study was performed in Zakho City, Iraq between January 2019 and October 2019. A total of 2223 females aged between 18 to 52 years old were included in this study. ELISA test was used to determine HBsAg, HBc IgG, and HCV antibodies positivity. HCV positive samples were then confirmed by Xpert HCV quantification assay.

Among the studied subjects, 12/2223 (0.54%) samples were positive for HBs Ag. All these 12 patients showed also positivity for HBc IgG. Only 1/2223 (0.045%) sample was positive for HCV antibodies. The result of HCV-RT-PCR confirmed the positivity for this patient.

The low prevalence rate of HBV and HCV infection among women in Zakho City was less than that reported in other studies. Population-based study is needed to estimate the prevalence of infection.