Assessing the Seroprevalence of and Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Related to Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Among Dental Health Professionals in the Country of Georgia, 2023

Dental health professionals (DHPs) are at risk for bloodborne viruses. We evaluated hepatitis B and hepatitis C seroprevalence and knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding viral hepatitis in Georgia. We randomly selected 214 dental facilities. DHPs underwent face-to-face interviews and provided blood samples. High knowledge and practice were defined as correctly responding to 70% or more of the questions. Samples were tested for antibodies against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and, if reactive, for HCV RNA; total hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc) and, if reactive, for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Specimens reactive for HBsAg were tested for antibody to hepatitis D virus (anti-HDV). Among 519 participants, 6.6% and 7.9% correctly identified all HBV and HCV transmission modes, respectively. Approximately half had high knowledge scores for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Nurses had lower odds than dentists to have high scores. While 56% agreed that the hepatitis B vaccine is essential for healthcare workers, only 23.9% reported being vaccinated. Overall, 89.4% had high practice scores; 41.6% experienced a blood splash on their face, 43.7% a needle-stick injury and 20.6% an injury with a contaminated instrument. Practice scores were lower among those who had not been screened or vaccinated for hepatitis B. Among 517 blood samples tested, 0.8% were anti-HCV reactive, but none had detectable HCV RNA; 12.2% were anti-HBc reactive and 0.6% were HBsAg reactive. None tested reactive for anti-HDV. Enhanced training and policy reforms are critical to improve hepatitis knowledge, vaccination uptake and infection control practices among DHPs in Georgia.