Epidemiological Profile of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Positive Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India

Introduction

Hepatitis B remains a major public health challenge in India and endemic regions, with ongoing transmission, large asymptomatic carrier reservoirs, and serious risks of chronic liver disease despite vaccination availability. The current study was conducted to investigate cases which were suspected for hepatitis B testing as per their clinical presentation or risk factors and to study the epidemiological profile of hepatitis B surface antigen positive patients. Methodology: This laboratory-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted from May to September 2022 in the Department of Microbiology, RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, in collaboration with a tertiary care hospital. After ethics approval and informed consent, 86 HBsAg-positive patients were enrolled. Demographic, clinical, and epidemiological data were collected and analyzed descriptively.