Introduction

Background of the Study

Health is a state of complete physical mental social well being not

merely the absence of disease or infirmity (World Health Organization

2009).

Therefore the state of health of an individual can decline in one way or

the other based on some factors which can be cultural environmental

socio-economic psychological and physical factors. Communicable

disease is caused by etiological agents which can be transferred from

one person to another either by direct contact droplet ingestion and

injection (Ekon 2007).

Hepatitis B virus is an infectious illness carried by hepatitis B virus which

infects the liver of hominoidae including humans and causes an

inflammation called hepatitis. The disease was originally known as

“serum hepatitis” the disease has caused epidemics in part of Asia and

Africa it is endemic in China (Wein Baum 2003).

Hepatitis B Virus is an hepadna-virus hepa from hepatotopic and

deoxy-ribonucleic because deoxyribonuleic virus and it has circular

genome composed of particularly double-stranded deoxyribonuleic acid

the virus replicate through a ribonucleic acid intermediate form by

reverse transcription and in respect they are similar to retroviruses

although replication take place in the liver the virus spreads to the blood

where various specific proteins and their corresponding antibodies are

found in infected people (Locarnini 2004)

Anomeze & Ibojie (1988) Hepatitis B virus is ranked by World Health

Organization as the ninth major causes of dead worldwide far ahead of

the dreaded disease acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Nigeria

belong to the group of countries with endemic hepatitis B viral infection

because about seventy-five percent of the population must have been

exposed to the virus at one time or the other in their life. About

two-third of the world population more than two million people have

been infected with hepatitis B virus those includes three hundred and

fifty million chronic carriers of the virus about eighty five to ninety

percent of adult who are infected with hepatitis B virus recover fully and

are never troubled by the virus again ten to fifteen percent are unable

to eliminate the virus and therefore become chronic carriers however

the situation is different for babies infected at birth because about ninety

percent of them go on to become chronic carriers because of their

immature immune system chronic hepatitis B virus is a major cause of

mortality from liver disease which progresses to liver cancer the

association between chronic

hepatitis B virus and liver cancer in African patients haven shown to be

high as seventy-five percent. The frightening aspect of these

association is that the rate at which the disease progression from chronic

hepatitis to liver cancer is very fast in our environment because of the

manifestation of the liver cancer which appears at very early age

another long time effect of chronic hepatitis B viral infection is the

development of the cirrhosis of the liver (scaring of the liver) cirrhosis

can lead to problem because blood is unable to flow freely through the

liver and becomes diverted around it which causes inflammation as a

result acute hepatitis B virus (Anomeze 1988).

Approximately thirty to forty percent of acute hepatitis B viral infection

in United State occurs in individuals with no known risk factors another

important fact is that hepatitis B virus remains stable outside the body

for days or weeks even when dry. (Centre for Disease Control and

Prevention 2009) Hepatitis B virus is found all over the world and an

estimated figure of six hundred and twenty thousand persons worldwide

die from hepatitis B viral related liver disease each year seven living with

the hepatitis B virus eight have developed hepatitis B rarely small

number of people may develop a fulminate form of acute hepatitis B.

The earliest records of an epidemic caused by hepatitis B virus was

made by (Lumen 1885).

An outbreak of small pox was accused in Bremen in 1883 and one

thousand two hundred and eighty nine shipyard employees were

vaccinated with lymph from other people after several weeks and up to

eight months later one hundred and ninety-one of the vaccinated

workers become ill with jaundice and were diagnosed as suffering serum

hepatitis other employees who had been inoculated with different

batches of lymph remained healthy Lumens paper now regarded as a

classical example of an epidemiological study proved that contaminated

lymphs was the source of the outbreak. Later similar cases were

reported following the introduction in 1909 of hypodermic needles that

were used and more importantly re-used needles for administration of

salvere and for the treatment of syphilis. The virus was not discovered

until 1965 when Baruch Blumberg then working at the National Institute

of Health discovered an Australian antigen later known to be hepatitis B

surface antigen (HBsAg) aboriginal people. Danie D.S and Mac Callum in

1947 discovered the viral particles in 1970 by electronic microscope by

the early 1980s the genome of the virus had been sequenced and first

vaccine were being tested. However symptoms of the illness caused by

the virus includes liver inflammation vomiting jaundice discomfort from

the right upper abdomen weakness of the body chronic hepatitis B may

eventually caused liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. This disease has a very

poor response to current chemothorgrahy the infection is preventable

by vaccination.

Statement of the Problem

Hepatitis B viral infection is endemic in part of Asia and Africa and it is

endemic in China which affects children men and women of all races

(World Health Organization 2009).

The risk of chronic infection varies according to the age at infection and

is greater among young children as put by World Health Organization

ninety percent of infant are infected and thirty percent of children age

less than five years have remained chronically infected with hepatitis B

virus it is important to note that people who die from hepatitis B virus

have increase at the same rate in both sexes including children

currently the disease is greater in unprotected sexual contact unscreen

blood product re-used or contaminated injection needle and syringes

and vertical transmission (mother-child).

Investigation - To probe into the causes of a particular disease or

condition.

Prevalence - This could be defined as a number of persons sick or

portraying a certain condition in a stated population at

a particular time.

Infection - Is the invasion colonization multiplication or

persistence of a pathogen on or within a host.

Student - Is one who seek knowledge from professional teachers

or books that is a learner pupil or a scholar (Robert

2003).

Out of the yearly admission of students in Alushi School of Health

Technology statistics from the Principal’s office have shown that twenty

to thirty students are diagnosed to have hepatitis B viral infection out of

the total number of two hundred to three hundred newly admitted

students in the school.

Purpose of the Study

This study is designed to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B viral

infection among students of School of Health Technology Alushi

specifically the study would:

1. To determine the prevalence rate of hepatitis B viral infection

among students of School of Health Technology Alushi.

2. To know the mode of transmission of hepatitis B viral infection.

3. To proffer solution on how to prevent and control the disease.

Significance of the Study

When the investigation into the prevalence rate of hepatitis B viral

infection among students of School of Health Technology Alushi the

following will

1. The people that will benefit from the study are teachers the

community the local government and the students.

2. They will benefit from the study haven known the causative agents

of hepatitis B viral infection. the route of entry or the mode of

transmission the virulence and the pathogeniccity how to

manage control and avoid being infected with hepatitis B virus.

3. It will be beneficial to the identified through accepting and putting

it into practice as they are aware of the nature of the disease.

Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to help guide the

study:

i) What is the prevalence rate of hepatitis B viral infection among

students of School of Health Technology Alushi?

ii) What is the mode of transmission of hepatitis B viral infection

among students of School of Health Technology Alushi?

iii) What are the solution prevention and control measures of

hepatitis B viral infection among students of School of Health

Technology Alushi?

Scope of the Study

This research work is limited to student of School of Health Technology

both male and female students.