The Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Among Municipal Solid Waste Workers: Necessity for Immunization of At-Risk Groups

Background: hepatitis b virus (hbv) is likely to be more prevalent in certain populations and occupational groups, such as municipal solid waste workers (mswws). objectives: the current study aimed to estimate the prevalence of hbv and its risk factors among mswws compared to other municipal employees not exposed to waste. patients and methods: the current cross-sectional study included 654 municipal employees in zahedan (south-eastern iran). a sample of blood was taken from each participant and tested for hbsag through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa). demographic and other data on high risk behaviors were also collected through in-depth interviews. data were analyzed using chi-square test and multiple regression analysis by stata. results: the overall prevalence of hbv among municipal employees was 3.06% (95% ci: 1.70 - 4.30); however, it varied among the different employee subgroups as follows: 6.20% (95% ci: 2.70 - 9.70) in mswws, 3.3% (95% ci: 0.08 - 5.80) in drivers and 1% among staff who were not exposed to waste. multiple regression analysis showed that exposure to waste [or = 9.36; 95% ci = 2.01 - 43.7], lack of vaccination against hbv [or = 3.83; 95% ci = 1.86 - 25.2], jaundice [or = 6.91; 95% ci = 1.51 - 31.5], history of endoscopy [or = 2.86; 95% ci = 1.08 - 7.62], and high risk behaviors [or = 4.80; 95% ci = 1.96 - 27.2] were independently associated with hbv. conclusions: greater encouragement for immunization against hbv as well as better education on hbv transmission routes and work safety precautions should be implemented to reduce the prevalence of hbv in mswws.