To evaluate the effect of hepatitis B prevention and control by comparative analysis on the results of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc prevalence from national hepatitis B seroepidemiological surveys in 1992 and 2014 in different epidemic regions of China.

Data was from the national seroepidemiological surveys of hepatitis B conducted in 1992 and 2014. The survey in 1992 was conducted in 145 disease surveillance points of 30 provinces (excluding Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan province) in China. The survey in 2016 was conducted in 160 disease surveillance points of 31 provinces (excluding Hong Kong, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan province) in China. In the two surveys, face-to-face interviews with the subject by door to door or on the investigation site were conducted by trained staff using standard questionnaires to obtain basic information including birth date, gender, ethnicity, resident place and so on. And then 5 ml venous blood was collected to test the sero-markers of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc. We analyzed unweighted point prevalence and 95% CI of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc in 1992 which had no design weighting, and analyzed weighted point prevalence and 95%CI of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc in 2014 which had design weighting.

34 291 and 31 713 people aged 1-29 years were involved in 1992 and 2014 national serosurveys of China, respectively. For the people aged 1-29 years, HBsAg prevalence was 2.64% (95%CI: 2.28%-3.06%) in 2014 and decreased by 73.92% as compared with the rate 10.13% (95% CI: 9.81%-10.45%) in 1992. Anti-HBc prevalence was 13.01% (95%CI: 12.09%-14.00%) in 2014 and decreased by 71.61% as compared with the rate 45.84% (95% CI: 45.31%-46.37%) in 1992. Anti-HBs prevalence was 57.79% (95%CI: 56.33%-59.25%) in 2014 and ascended by 127.41% as compared with the rate 25.41% (95% CI: 24.95%-25.87%) in 1992. In high, medium and low epidemic region, for the people who born during 1992-2001 when hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in routine immunization management, HBsAg prevalence was 4.74% (95%CI: 3.79%-5.69%), 1.59% (95%CI: 1.09%-2.10%) and 2.53% (95%CI: 1.66%-3.39%), respectively, and anti-HBs prevalence was 64.25% (95% CI: 62.11%-66.39%), 56.34% (95% CI: 54.50%-58.57%), 54.49% (95%CI: 51.75%-57.23%), respectively, and anti-HBc prevalence was 15.16% (95%CI: 13.56%-16.76%), 11.07% (95%CI: 9.80%-12.33%), 7.61% (95%CI: 6.15%-9.07%), respectively. In high, medium and low epidemic region, for the people who born during 2002-2013 the duration which hepatitis B vaccine was integrated in expanded immunization program born during when HBsAg prevalence was 0.88% (95%CI: 0.66%-1.11%), 0.37% (95%CI: 0.24%-0.49%)and 0.71% (95%CI: 0.48%-0.94%), respectively, and anti-HBs prevalence was 60.74% (95%CI: 59.57%-61.90%), 59.46% (95%CI: 58.44%-60.49%), 52.56% (95% CI: 51.20%-53.92%), respectively, and anti-HBc prevalence was 3.30% (95% CI: 2.87%-3.72%), 1.91% (95%CI: 1.63%-2.20%), 2.25% (95%CI: 1.85%-2.66%), respectively.

China had made great achievement in hepatitis B prevention and control. HBsAg prevalence among people aged 1-29 years old in 2014 decreased dramatically as compared with that in 1992. Since hepatitis B vaccine was integrated into expanded immunization program, China reduced HBsAg prevalence to less than 1% among people aged 1-12 years in 2014 in different epidemic region.

Hepatitis B; Serology; Hepatitis B vaccine