Epidemiological analysis of the incidence of acute HBV infection in the population of the Republic of Tatarstan from 2010-2024 years

Abstract

Despite the success of vaccination, hepatitis B remains a common infectious disease for many years, with fatal outcomes such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The leading role in the epidemiology of hepatitis B is played by the incidence among unvaccinated individuals or those who have not completed vaccination, due to their lack of immunity to the pathogen. The aim is а retrospective epidemiological analysis of the incidence of acute hepatitis B in the population of the Republic of Tatarstan. Methods. Data from reporting forms were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological study methodology in R (version 4.3.2) and Microsoft Excel (2016). Incidence rates per 100,000 people in the Republic of Tatarstan and the patient structure by gender, age, and social factors were determined. Comparisons of indicators were conducted using the Student's t-test and the Pearson chi-square (χ2) test. Results. In the Republic of Tatarstan, the average long-term incidence rate for 2010-2024 was 0.45 ± 0.28 (95% CI: 0.30–0.60), with a minimum in 2020 (0.13 per 100,000 population) and a maximum in 2010 (1.23 per 100,000 population). The incidence rate decreased by 4.6 times. Men are statistically 1.9 times more likely to get sick than women, with men accounting for 61.4 % of cases. The age structure is dominated by people aged 25–44 (55.8%). The median age of those infected shifted from 29 to 40 years, indicating a shift in incidence toward older age groups. Both employed (43.8%) and unemployed (43.4%) individuals are affected almost equally. Conclusion. Despite the steady downward trend in the incidence of acute hepatitis B, the infection remains relevant for all age, sex and social groups of the population, with an emphasis on the group of people not included in the vaccination program as the most vulnerable.