What are the Particularities of Hepatitis B Virus Awareness, among Care Workers and Medical Students in an Endemic Country?

Abstract

The hepatitis B virus is well known for its contagiousness, especially among healthcare workers due to their direct contact with blood products, affecting both healthcare personnel and patients. This highlights the importance of our study, which sheds light on the underestimation of the seriousness of this virus's spread and emphasizes the significance of vaccination by sampling students starting from the third year, interns, and residents. Aims: To assess knowledge about hepatitis B virus (HBV), its infectious risk, vaccination against HBV, and the vaccination coverage rate within our population. Study Design: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted from October 2022 to July 2023, in Hassan II regional hospital in Agadir, Morocco. Methodology: We were using an anonymous questionnaire that was completed by 267 participants as our foundation. Results: Less than half (48.3%) were aware that complete vaccination requires at least 3 doses, with only 27.3% reporting being fully vaccinated. 40% were aware of the existence of anti-HBV Ig. Regarding practical attitudes towards Blood borne exposure incident, 25% of our study population had been exposed, with causes of non-reporting including underestimation of risk in 59% of cases and administrative difficulties in 49% of cases. Conclusion: Our study highlighted the lack of information regarding basic HBV knowledge and the severity of its transmission, leading to a very low vaccination rate among healthcare personnel. This underscores the importance of thorough awareness campaigns targeted at those affected.