Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Barbers and Butchers

Sura Mustafa Qasim * and Qasim SM.

Department Basic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Tikrit University, Salah Al-Din, Iraq
* Corresponding Author; Email: sura.m.qasim@tu.edu.iq.
ORCID Details
 
Research Article
International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive, 2026, 12(01), 244–252.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijbpsa.2026.12.1.0095
Publication history: 
Received on 17 August 2026; revised on 24 September 2026; accepted on 25 September 2026
 
Abstract: 
Background: Barbers and butchers handle sharp instruments that are frequently contaminated with blood, placing them at increased occupational risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study estimated the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) among barbers and butchers in Salah Al-Din Governorate, Iraq, compared with unexposed controls, and described the demographic and occupational characteristics of HBsAg-positive workers.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2025 and enrolled 900 participants aged 20–70 years: 300 barbers, 300 butchers, and 300 healthy male controls. Serum HBsAg was detected by ELISA; reactive samples were retested for confirmation. Groups were compared using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test, P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: HBsAg was detected in barbers (11.3%) and butchers (9.3%) but in none of the controls (0%), a difference that was highly significant. Prevalence did not differ significantly between barbers and butchers .Among barbers, positivity was associated with age, whereas no age association was found among butchers. About three-fifths of positive workers in both groups were asymptomatic. Work-related cuts were reported by 52.9% of positive barbers (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Barbers and butchers carry a burden of HBV infection six to seven times that of the general population, attributable to frequent occupational cuts and to instrument-cleaning practices that do not inactivate the virus; most infections are clinically silent. These occupational groups should be prioritized for HBV vaccination, periodic serological screening.
 
Keywords: 
Hepatitis B Virus; Hbsag; Prevalence; Occupational Exposure; Barbers; Butchers; ELISA; Iraq.
 
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Copyright © 2026 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0