Prevalence of occult hepatitis B in southeast Asia: The first systematic review and meta-analysis

Document Type : Systematic review or meta-analysis

Authors

1 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

2 Department of Microbiology, Kogi State University (Prince Abubakar Audu University) Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria

3 Microbiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Summit University Offa, Offa 4412, Kwara State, Nigeria

4 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810211, Nigeria

5 Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

6 Department of Biochemistry, Kogi State University (Prince Abubakar Audu University) Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria

7 Department of Biological Sciences, Kogi State University, Kabba, Nigeria

8 Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

9 Department of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

10 Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

Background and Aim: Occult hepatitis B infection is a significant public health concern in Southeast Asia. This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to provide detailed information on the pooled prevalence of OHB in Southeast Asia. Methods: A systematic search for articles describing the prevalence of OHB within Southeast Asian countries was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Our search returned Fifteen (15) eligible articles involving 1864 OHB cases representing Seven (7) Asian countries. A meta-analysis was performed on our eligible studies using the random effect model. A protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023422981).

Results: The pooled prevalence of OHB in southeast Asia was relatively high [10.5% (95% CI, 6.8% – 16.0%; I2 = 98.37%; p < 0.001)]. Cambodia (51.2%, CI: 48.3 – 54.0%) had the highest estimate for OHB among the Southeast Asian countries. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of OHB with the year of study and types of study designs at P < 0.001. Between 2006 and 2010, studies had the highest pooled prevalence (25.0%, CI: 12.0 – 44.8%). There was a decrease in OHB pooled prevalence at the beginning of 2011. Conclusion: The findings of this review revealed a significant prevalence of OHB in Southeast Asia (10.5%) and a fall in the incidence of OHB over the last decade in Southeast Asia. The high prevalence of OHB in Southeast Asia, despite the drop in OHB incidence within the last decades, stirs the need for effective HBV prevention.

Keywords

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Main Subjects