East African Journal of Health and Science
Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis B Virus and Drug Resistance among Pregnant Women in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study
By Joseph Kamau Njuguna, Anthony Kebira Nyamache, James Nonoh and 1 others.
Abstract
Background
With an estimated 360 million people chronically infected, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has become one of the major global public health concerns, yet little is known about the genetic diversity and drug resistance among pregnant women in Kenya. Therefore, this study investigated the genetic diversity and drug resistance of hepatitis B virus among pregnant women in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 385 pregnant women visiting antenatal care (ANC) at St. Orsola Hospital between September and December 2023. Blood samples were collected and tested for HBV. The partial HBV pol gene from positive samples was amplified and directly sequenced using Sanger sequencing. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA X, and drug resistance was examined using an insilico HBV resistance database.