AN INVESTIGATION OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION, CAUSES AND PREVENTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most common viruses in the modern world and ranked by the WHO as one of the top ten killers (Samir, 2013). The virus is responsible for approximately 1.5 million deaths worldwide each year, two thirds of which are attributable to primary hepatic carcinoma following HBV infection (Martin, 2013; Heymann, 2014). About 360 million people are chronically infected with HBV. These chronically infected persons are at higher risk of death from HBV-related liver cancer or cirrhosis by approximately 25% and over 4 million new acute clinical cases occur (World Health Organization, 2012; Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is preventable with a safe and effective vaccine, the first vaccine against cancer due to HBV infection (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 2013). Hepatitis B virus is a well-known occupational hazard of health care workers and they are considered to be at substantial risk for acquiring or transmitting the virus because of the occupational contact with blood, blood products and other body fluids (Kohn et al., 2013). The occupational risk for HBV acquisition varies according to the work place in the health care setting and time of exposure to the agent (Ciorlia & Zanetta, 2015).