Prevalence of HBV and HCV markers among patients attending the Saint Camille Medical Centre in Ouagadougou.

HCV and HBV cause annually, 2000 deaths from liver cancer in Burkina Faso. In this country, serological screening of hepatitis viruses B and C is only systematic among blood donors. The aims of this study were; (1) to investigate the reasons for the prescription of the screening for hepatitis B and C; (2) to determine HCV and HBV prevalence among 462 patients attending the Saint Camille Centre and (3) to identify patients with acute hepatitis or with chronic hepatitis for better monitoring. From February to May 2012, 462 patients attending the laboratory of the Saint Camille Medical Centre with viral hepatitis suspicion were screened. The hepatitis B and C serological markers were detected through Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) technique using commercial reagent kits. The clinical symptoms were also recorded for each patient. The results revealed that, the main clinical symptoms that prompted physicians to request HBV and HCV screenings were: asthenia (39.4%), anorexia (21.2%), abdominal pains (19.0%), nausea (10.4%), others (10.0%). The prevalence of HbsAg was 29.4% among the screened people. Patients with acute hepatitis B, active chronic hepatitis B and non-active chronic hepatitis B represented 11.2, 2.2 and 16.0%, respectively. The acquisition of immunity against HBV after vaccination was attempted for 11.7% people. HCV prevalence was 3.9% and its coinfection with HBV was 2.2%. This study showed a high prevalence for hepatitis B and C among patients attending Saint Camille Medical Centre. Without hygiene education and HBV/HCV prevention, viral hepatitis infection will become a serious public health problem in Burkina Faso.