Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in prisons: a prevalence study

• Published date: 10 June 2019
• Date: 10 June 2019
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-01-2018-0004
• Pages: 162-167
• Author: Sukran Kose,Pelin Adar,Ayhan Gozaydin,Lutfiye Kuzucu,Gulgun Akkoclu
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Prisoner health,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C in prisons:

a prevalence study

Sukran Kose, Pelin Adar, Ayhan Gozaydin, Lutfiye Kuzucu and Gulgun Akkoclu

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 Prison, Blood-borne viral infections, Hepatitis B

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Chronic viralhepatitis are important with regardto public health not only in Turkey butalso all over

the world.Chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infections arethe most frequent

reasons for terminal hepatic failure, including decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular

carcinomas (El-Serag, 2012). Data from the World Health Organization (WHO)indicate that about

240m people are infected with HBV, and 130–150m people are infected with HCV (WHO,

2017a,b). HBV frequency in Turkey varies between2 and 7 percent, and is seen as the midpoint in

terms of the world’sendemic regions (Mıstık, 2007; Quer andEsteban, 2005). Prevalence of HCV

is lower when comparedwith HBV, and it is between 1 and 2.4 percent in Turkey (Sünbül,2009).

When these ratios are considered, in Turkey about 4m people are infected with HBV, and 1m

people are infected with HCV (Altındiş,2000).

Patients who receive blood and blood products, hemodialysis patients, intravenous drug users

(especially in developed countries), babies born to surrogate mothers, sexual partners or

husbands of the surrogate mothers, health staff, people with intellectual disabilities, and those

living in poor hygienic conditions can be accounted for the groups that carry the main risks for the

Received 23 January 2018

Revised 28 March 2018

2 July 2018

15 August 2018

29 August 2018

Accepted 30 August 2018

Sukran Kose is based at the

Department of Infectious

Diseases and Clinical

Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik

Training and Research

Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.

Pelin Adar is based at the

Department of Infectious

Diseases and Clinical

Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik

Training and Research

Hospital, Izmir, Turkey and

Department of Infectious

Diseases and Clinical

Microbiology, Kelkit State

Hospital, Gumushane, Turkey.

Ayhan Gozaydin,

Lutfiye Kuzucu and

Gulgun Akkoclu are all based at

the Department of Infectious

Diseases and Clinical

Microbiology, Izmir Tepecik

Training and Research

Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.

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VOL. 15 NO. 2 2019, pp. 162-167, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1744-9200 DOI 10.1108/IJPH-01-2018-0004