Hepatitis B virus infection among the informal waste pickers in Aden, Yemen

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors associated with hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) among informal waste pickers (IWPs) in Aden, Yemen. Methods a cross-sectional study was carried out among 151 IWPs. The collected blood samples were tested for the presence of HBsAg using the Cobas technique. Result The majority of IWPs were males, 144 (95.4%), with a total mean ± SD age of 29.14 ± 14.13 years. Only 0.7% (1/151) had HBV infection. The percentages for this case regarding the socio-demographic and other characteristics of IWPs were varied as in group over 39 years (2.7%), males (0.7%), married individuals (1.5%), those with illiterate education (2.2%), individuals living with their families (1.1%), those with low economic status (0.7%), and those dealing with mixed waste (0.9%). According to the distribution of infection in Aden districts, the percentage of HBV-positive case was 5.6% in Ash Shaikh Outhman. This low prevalence rate is making the determination of significant associations very difficult. Conclusion The prevalence of HBV among informal waste pickers in Aden, Yemen, was one of the lowest rates compared to global studies and almost the same as the rate in a population-based study in Yemen. The clustering of HBV infection was found in Ash Shaikh Outhman. Further studies are recommended to determine viral infections among informal waste pickers working at nighttime as well as immunization against HBV.