Portage and Screening for Viral Hepatitis B in Pregnant Women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background: Viral Hepatitis B remains a major public health problem because of its frequency and the costs involved. Objective: To determine the carriage and compare the different screening methods for hepatitis B infection in our environment. Methods: This work is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in collaboration with four health institutions in Kinshasa: the Maternity of Kintambo, the General Hospital of Matété, the General Hospital of Makala and the General Hospital of Kinkole. The choice of centers was made randomly on the basis of women’s attendance at the Prenatal Consultation (PNC) and the accessibility of the centers. All women who came to PNC during the period from June 1 to August 30, 2019 in the centers were included in the cohort after signing informed consent. The blood samples were collected by the technical team of the centers and transported in accordance with the cold chain at 4°C to the Laboratory for analysis. Each sample was tested for serological research for HBsAg antigen and ELISA Sandwich at the Central Veterinary Laboratory of Kinshasa. Results: 204 consenting women participated in this study. The most represented age group is 19 to 25 years with 95 women (46.6%). 65 women (31.9%) were housewives. 70 women (34.3%) had the primary school education. 79 women (38.7%) were positive for HBV by HBsAg serology while 102 (50%) were positive by ELISA. The most infected age group was 19 to 25 years (42.1% by RDT and 52.6% by ELISA). More cases of infection were found among housewives (49.2% by RDT and 63% by ELISA) compared to other professions. 186 women had tattoos (91.2%) of which 38.7% were positive by HBsAg and 51% by ELISA. On the other hand, 18 women did not wear a tattoo (8.8%) of which 38.9% were positive by HBsAg and by ELISA. 134 women had a history of blood transfusion (65.7%) of which 41% were positive by HBsAg and 56% by ELISA. On the other hand, 70 women had no history of blood transfusion (34.3%) of which 34.2% were positive by HBsAg and 38.6% by ELISA. Conclusion: The study shows that hepatitis B does represent a public health problem among pregnant women in the city of Kinshasa. The seroprevalence of viral hepatitis B in pregnant women remains very high. ELISA appears to be a better technic for the diagnosis of HBV.