Prevalence of Hepatitis B virus and Haemoparasites among Apparently Healthy Individuals in College of Health Sciences Ladoke Akinola University of Technology Ogbomoso

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, a viral disease, is of great concern to health community due to its adverse
effects on the liver of infected individuals. Haemoparasites are blood-dwelling parasites whose effects span from mild to severe infections. This study focused on Plasmodium falciparum Trypanosoma brucei
gambiense and microfilaria which causes malaria,sleeping sickness and microfilaramia in humans
respectively. This is a retrospective study that was designed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B
infection and haemoparasistes among apparently healthy individuals in the College of Health Sciences,
Ladoke Akintola University of technology, Ogbomoso. Paucity of data regarding prevalence of HBV and
haemoparasites among apparently healthy individuals in Ogbomoso necessitated this study. A total number
of one hundred and fifty five (155) blood samples were collected within 3months for this study. Out of the
one hundred and fifty five (155) blood samples collected, ten (10) tested positive to HBsAg giving a
prevalence rate of 6.5%. The samples were also examined for haemoparasites on thin and thick blood smears
stained with Giemsa dye using oil immersion (100X) objective of the light microscope. Only one type of
haemoparasite was detected: malaria parasite with a prevalence of 87.1%. Prevalence rate for HBV and
malaria parasite with respect to age group was found to be higher in age group of 25-30 and in term of sex,
males have higher prevalence rate than females. The prevalence of 7.4% for co-infection of HBV and
malaria parasite within the study population confirmed the high endemicity of both infections in the studied
area being an urban area. It could be recommended that the Nigerian government HBV vaccination program should be extended to the adult population and not just limited to the national childhood immunization
program. This is important because none of the subjects that participated in the study were vaccinated.