266931 Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B co-infection in the Fako division of Southwest Cameroon

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Lauren Shevell , Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Henry Dilonga, MS , Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
Fidelis Cho-Ngwa, PhD , Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
Crystal Fuller, PhD, MPH , Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Objective: Close to 20 percent of the population in Southwest Cameroon is afflicted with HIV and/or HBV demonstrating a need for better prevention programs. We aim to describe the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, HBV and HIV/AIDS and HBV co-infection; examine the correlation between HIV/AIDS and HBV; and determine risk correlates associated with HIV/AIDS and HBV in Cameroon.

Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based surveillance study was conducted among adults in five hospitals in the Fako division of Southwest Cameroon. Participants underwent pre- and post-test counseling, a 30-question survey and blood draw for HIV and HBV serologic testing. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression were used to investigate correlations and final model building.

Results: Among 761 participants, 40.3% were male, mean age was 35.2 years, and the prevalence of HIV, HBV and HIV/HBV co-infection was 10.7% (81/758), 9.9% (76/761), and 1.2% (9/761), respectively. There was no correlation between HIV and HBV infection. After adjustment, HIV was associated with the number of lifetime sexual partners, (AOR = 2.258; 95% CI=1.224-4.165) and age at first sexual intercourse (AOR = 2.631; 95% CI =1.439-4.810). In contrast, none of the high-risk sexual behaviors were association with HBV.

Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that unlike HIV, HBV is not associated with sexual risk factors and may provide evidence that HBV is acquired through routes other than sexual transmission, warranting further investigation in this region.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1)List the prevalence of HIV, HBV and HIV/HBV co-infection in Southwest Cameroon 2)Explain how transmission of HBV differs in the West and sub-Saharan Africa 3)Compare the route of transmission of HIV and HBV in sub-Saharan Africa 4)Discuss means to lower the incidence of HBV in sub-Saharan Africa

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the primary investigator for a research study approved by the Camerooninan government and IRB that investigated the prevalence of HIV and HBV in Cameroon. I am currently a masters student at Columbia Univesity Mailman School of Public Health writing my thesis on the data I collected in Cameroon.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 2036.0: Infectious Disease Epidemiology Poster Session