Prevalence and Viral Load of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Among Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) -Treated Mothers and their Infants in Katsina, Nigeria

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major public health challenge, particularly among people living with HIV, with mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) contributing significantly to chronic infections. This study determined the prevalence and viral load of HBV among highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-treated mothers and their infants in Katsina, Nigeria. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 182 HAART-treated mother–infant pairs. Blood samples were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using a rapid immunochromatographic assay. HBsAg-positive maternal samples were further analyzed for HBV serological markers using a rapid immunochromatographic HBV five-panel test kit and HBV DNA viral load using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The prevalence of HBsAg among the mothers was 5.5% (10/182), while none of the infants tested positive. Among the HBsAg-positive mothers, none tested positive for anti-HBs or HBeAg, whereas 40.0% and 90.0% were positive for anti-HBe and anti-HBc, respectively. HBV DNA was detected in 20.0% (2/10) of the HBsAg-positive mothers, with low viral loads ranging from 1.54 × 10³ to 5.28 × 10³ copies/mL, while the remaining mothers had undetectable viral loads. No statistically significant associations were observed between HBV infection and the socio-demographic or risk factors evaluated (p > 0.05). The findings indicate a moderate prevalence of HBV among HAART-treated mothers, with low maternal viral loads and no evidence of HBV infection among their infants.