Search

Research has shown that there are significant gaps in hepatitis B knowledge among migrant communities who are at risk of hepatitis B, such as Chinese and Vietnamese communities. Many students studying within Australia come from countries with high prevalence of hepatitis B. However, there is very little research examining hepatitis B knowledge, screening, or vaccination among university students in Australia or worldwide. The aim of this paper was to measure both levels of and demographic differences in hepatitis B screening and knowledge among Chinese and Vietnamese students in Australia. Online surveys were completed by 112 Chinese- and 95 Vietnamese-identifying students in Australia, measuring knowledge of hepatitis B, engagement in screening and vaccination, and demographic characteristics. Results show that although engagement in screening and vaccination for hepatitis B was high, there were significant gaps in knowledge around transmission of hepatitis B. There were also some key demographic differences in screening and knowledge. For instance, those born in Australia were more likely to have been screened compared to those born Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Vietnam. Chinese students born in Australia had lower levels of knowledge compared to those born in Mainland China or Hong Kong. Among both samples, knowing someone living with hepatitis B was associated with higher levels of knowledge. Findings underscore the need for education-based interventions to address the significant gaps that exist in knowledge around hepatitis B, with a specific need for culturally appropriate resources in a range of languages to cater to the diverse communities who may be at risk of hepatitis B., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Cama et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in human ovary and placenta and the vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV)., Methodology/principal Fidnings: Ovarian and placental tissue specimens of pregnant women infected with HBV were collected during cesarean section and immunostained for HBsAg. The sera of the corresponding newborns were tested for HBV markers and HBV DNA. HBsAg was detected in 15 out of 33 (45%) placental tissues and was further detected in capillary endothelial cells in 4 specimens (26%), of which 3 (75%) corresponding infants were infected with HBV in utero. Out of the 33 ovarian tissues, 7 (21%) were positive for HBsAg, of which 2 (28%) showed HBsAg in ovarian follicles and the 2 corresponding infants (100%) had intrauterine HBV infection., Conclusions/significance: HBsAg expression in cells of the ovarian follicle or placental capillary endothelium signal a higher risk for intrauterine HBV infection.