Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C in US Air Force Basic Military Trainees
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause significant morbidity in military servicemembers and may potentially negatively impact mission readiness. Prevalence among military recruits accessioning into the United States Air Force for hepatitis Band Chas not previously been described.The Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Blood Donor Center was queried for HBV and HCV screening forall basic military trainees who donated blood between November 25, 2013 through April 16, 2016. Other populations, such as active duty or reserve personnel, were excluded. The estimated prevalence of HBVand HCV was 0.0098% and 0.007%, respectively. This study suggests that the overall estimated prevalence of HBV and HCV infection is much lower among USAF basic trainees compared to both the active duty and US civilian populations. HBV and HCV are viral infections that can negatively impact mission readiness, individual deployment status, and have significant costs for the military. Additional studies are needed to determine cost effectiveness of screening for viral hepatitis among military populations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 29, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1040698
Entities
People
- Douglas F Taylor
Organizations
- 59th Medical Wing