Serological markers of hepatitis B virus in indigenous populations from Amazonas state, Venezuela

Venezuela has a level of intermediate prevalence of Hepatitis B, with four foci of high endemicity associated mainly to indigenous population. The prevalence found in the Venezuelan Amazon have different distributions among the peoples, observing different epidemiological particularities. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of Hepatitis B in the indigenous population of different geographical regions of the Amazonas State that have not yet been evaluated, by determining serological markers: HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV core antibody (Anti-HBc). Blood samples were tested from 1390 individuals from 15 indigenous populations (Baniva, Bare, Curripaco, Jivi, Mapoyo, Maco, Piapoco, Piaroa, Puinave, Saliba, Warekena, Yabarana, Yanomami, Yekuana, Yeral. Prevalence of exposure to the virus (Anti-HBc) was 37.6 % and the prevalence of active infection (HBsAg) was 5.6 %. Prevalence of exposure to the virus was directly proportional to age. No significant difference was found in relation to sex. A significant difference was found in Saliba people who show prevalences significantly smaller than the rest of the indigenous peoples (p<0.001), while the observed in Yabarana was significantly higher (p<0.001). A significantly higher prevalence of HBsAg was found in Yabarana people (p<0.001). It can be predicted that there is a relationship between prevalence of exposure to hepatitis B virus and geographic distance to urban centers.