Life Science Journal 2012;9(4) http://www.lifesciencesite.com 5442 Prevalence Study of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) Infection by Serological techniques in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Redwan N A 1 ; M M M Ahmed 1, 2 * and M B I Barnawi 1 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 2 Nucleic Acids Research Dept., Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), Mubarak City for Scientific Research and Technology Applications. Alexandria, Egypt. mmmahmed6@yahoo.ca Abstract: Chronic liver disease is an important health challenge in the world, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are the main causes of liver insufficiency. HBV infection is a serious global health problem, with two billion people infected worldwide, and 350 million suffering from chronic HBV infection. The objective of this study was prevalence of Hepatitis B virus on Jeddah populations, Saudi Arabia. (HBV) was screened in serum and plasma by using Elisa test , samples were collected and stratified according to nationality into Saudi and non Saudi and according to gender into male and female and also according to age. Prevalence was calculated separately for each group and for studied population as a whole. Results showed that HBsAg were found in 6.11 % seropositive of sample in study populations , the prevalence of HBs Ag was higher in males than females it is 8 % among males and 5.61 % among females with significant difference (p<0.05). Also HBs Ag were found in 6.53 % of Saudi population and 1.79 % of non Saudi patient with no statistically significant difference (p>0.05).According to age results all positive samples were found in adult age while no positive sample at age under 15 years with no significant difference (p>0.05). Finally in this study we tried to draw attention through the study to create future strategies to deal with this virus and limit its spread in Saudi society. This study provides valuable information that can be used to examine the incidence of infection in the community and help focus the administration of a future HBV vaccine to appropriate target populations. [Redwan N A; M M M Ahmed and M B I Barnawi. Prevalence Study of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) Infection by Serological techniques in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Life Sci J 2012;9(4):5442-5448] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com . 805 Key words: HBV; virus; seroprevalence; ELISA; HBsAg 1. Introduction Hepatitis” means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. Viral hepatitis is a major global health problem. There are five known viruses that primarily infect the liver and cause hepatitis: hepatitis A; B; C; D and E. Hepatitis B, C, D virus (HBV, HCV, HDV) infections can lead to chronic liver disease with its attendant long term sequelae including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Viral hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the three most commonly identified worldwide. This disease represents a major public health problem in Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) data, viral hepatitis ranked the second most common reportable viral disease after chickenpox in 2007, with almost 9000 new cases diagnosed in that year (52% HBV , 32% HCV , and 16% HAV) (MOH; 2009) . In Saudi Arabia, HBV and HCV are major causes of disease requiring liver transplantation and of hepatocellular carcinoma, resulting in the need for considerable healthcare resources (Al-Sebayel et al., 2007). The epidemiology of viral hepatitis in Saudi Arabia has undergone major changes, concurrent with major socioeconomic developments over the last two to three decades. Since the 1980s, Saudi Arabia has been known as a high HBV endemic area (Andre, 2000). The prevalence of HBV infection varies widely, with rates ranging from 0.1% to 20% in different parts of the world (Lavanchy, 2004). "High" prevalence (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] positivity rates > 8%) regions where the viral infection is highly endemic include the Far East, parts of the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Amazon basin. In these regions, serologic evidence of prior HBV infection (anti-hepatitis B core antigen [anti-HBc] or anti-HBs positivity) is present in the vast majority of individuals (Berenguer and Wright, 2002). Hepatitis B is virus (HBV) a public health problem worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 350 million people are infected chronically with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and that the prevalence of the certain state is more than 20% in certain highly endemic area of Africa and Asia (EPI-NEWS, No. 25, 2002). Sequelae of HBV infection are serious. Up to 15% of