Data on hepatitis B and C prevalence among the population of Blagoevgrad district – first survey for the country
General Medicine, 2023, 25(3), 8-12.
A. Gotseva1, D. Velcheva2, Е. Naseva3
1 Laboratory of Virology, Military Medical Academy ‒ Sofia
2 MDL Cibalab LTD ‒ Sofia
3 Department of Health Economics, Faculty of Public Health “Prof. Tsekomir Vodenicharov, MD, DSc”, MU ‒ Sofia
Abstract. Hepatitis B and C prevalence varies between the regions in Bulgarian. The present study aim to describe HВsAg and anti-HCV seroprevalence among the population of one region in South-Western Bulgaria (Blagoevgrad district). Material and methods: Four hundred and forty eight serum samples are tested for a period of two years (2018-2019): 242 males (54%) and 206 females (46%) with mean age 49.8 ± 15.8 years. Results: The observed HBsAg and anti-HCV prevalence in study region are 22.8% and 4.2%, respectively. The mean age of HBsAg and anti-HCV positive patients is 46.8 ± 13.2 years, and 54.8 ± 13.8 years, respectively. Conclusions: This study revealed higher hepatitis B prevalence level and intermediate endemicity of hepatitis C compared to the rest of the country. Periodical evaluation of the epidemiological data is important for a better knowledge of the health status of the populations and to optimize screening programs.
Key words: HBsAg, anti-HCV, prevalence
Address for correspondence: Anelia Gotseva, MD, PhD, e-mail: anelialg@abv.bg