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Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in prisons: a prevalence study

Sukran Kose (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey)
Pelin Adar (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey) (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Kelkit State Hospital, Gumushane, Turkey)
Ayhan Gozaydin (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey)
Lutfiye Kuzucu (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey)
Gulgun Akkoclu (Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey)

International Journal of Prisoner Health

ISSN: 1744-9200

Article publication date: 1 March 2019

Issue publication date: 7 June 2019

189

Abstract

Purpose

Prisons, which are hazardous places for various contagious diseases, carry additional risks for HBV and HCV because of the communal lifestyle (common use of tools like razor blades, tattoo applications, intravenous drug use and homosexual intercourse). The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of HBV and HCV, and also provide information for prisoners in this respect.

Design/methodology/approach

This study included 180 prisoners from the Buca F-Type Closed Prison, and 180 prisoners from the Foça Open Prison in Turkey. After the training seminars, serum levels of HBsAg, anti HBs, anti HBc total and anti HCV in the prisoners were assessed using the MICROELISA method.

Findings

All the prisoners were male. The mean age was 40(21–73) years. According to the results of 360 prisoners from both prisons, 17 (4.7 percent) prisoners were HBsAg positive and were diagnosed as HBV. Isolated anti HBs was positive in 33 (9.1 percent) prisoners who had been previously vaccinated. In 25 (6.9 percent) prisoners isolated Anti HBc total was positive, and in 61 (16.9 percent) prisoners both Anti HBs and Anti HBc total was positive in those who were considered to be recovered from the HBV. Anti HCV was positive in 2 (0.5 percent) prisoners; the process was repeated twice, and found to be repeatedly positive. Coinfection of HBV and HCV was not detected.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, the prevalence of HBV and HCV was determined to be similar to those in the normal population. However, it is not expedient to generalize this result and apply it to all prisons. For the sake of public health, prisons should be scanned for infectious diseases, and vaccinations must be applied as necessary, in order to provide protection.

Originality/value

It is a study to determine the prevalence of HBV and HCV in the prisoner population, which constitute one of the risk groups because of the communal lifestyle (common use of some tools such as the razor blade, tattoo applications, intravenous drug use and homosexual intercourse), and to compare the results with other groups in Turkey and globally.

Keywords

Citation

Kose, S., Adar, P., Gozaydin, A., Kuzucu, L. and Akkoclu, G. (2019), "Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in prisons: a prevalence study", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 162-167. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-01-2018-0004

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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