A study of knowledge and practice regarding Hepatitis B among nursing students attending tertiary care hospitals in Agartala city

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global pandemic and there are more than 350 million HBV carriers in the world. HBV is a DNA virus and one of many unrelated viruses that cause viral hepatitis and can lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. More than three quarters of its infections occurs in Asia, Middle East and Africa. According to a WHO estimate, more than two billion people in the world have serological evidence of prior HBV infection. Of the world’s carriers of HBV, 75% are from Asia. Globally, more than a million people die annually from its related causes. This high prevalence rate with its sequels like liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma makes HBV infection a disease of major public health importance worldwide. The prevalence of HBV inadequate policies and inconsistent enforcement of carriers varies from lowest in Japan (less than .00005%), to highest (10 to 20 %) in areas like southeast Asia, China and sub-Saharan Africa. Pakistan lies in the intermediate to high prevalence areas. According to a study from Lahore, prevalence of HBsAg in normal subjects was 2.6%, 12 and 3.37% in blood donors of Multan. By virtue of occupation, the health care workers (HCW) are placed in constant danger of acquiring HBV from the infected patients. It is the ABSTRACT