{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T15:59:46Z","timestamp":1782230386406,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,5]],"date-time":"2025-11-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762300800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"PACE-UP; German Academic Exchange Service","award":["57592343"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["57592343"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Occult HBV infection (OBI) remain a health burden in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigated HBV prevalence, circulating genotypes, and associated risk factors with HBV exposure among HIV-positive adults on antiretroviral therapy and pregnant women in southwestern Cameroon. A total of 233 HIV patients and 190 third-trimester pregnant women were screened for HBV DNA, viral load, serological markers (HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs), and HBV genotypes were determined by partial sequencing of the S gene. HBV DNA was detected in 10% of HIV-positive patients and 4% of pregnant women, with an overall prevalence of 7%. OBI accounted for 9% and 3%, respectively. Anti-HBc seroprevalence was high (75% in HIV, 46% in pregnant women), while self-reported vaccination coverage was low (1% and 11%). Genotypes A, B, D, and E were identified, with genotype B reported for the first time in Cameroon. Immune escape mutations and the adefovir resistance mutation rtA181V were detected. Self-reported alcohol use was associated with HBV exposure in HIV patients (aOR = 2.08; p = 0.028) and inversely associated with tertiary education in pregnant women (aOR = 0.18; p = 0.038). This study highlights a significant burden of HBV and OBI among vulnerable populations in Cameroon.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14111128","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,5]],"date-time":"2025-11-05T13:19:29Z","timestamp":1762348769000},"page":"1128","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["High Burden of Hepatitis B Virus and Occult Infection Among HIV-Positive Adults and Pregnant Women in Southwest Cameroon"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Macqueen Ngum","family":"Mbencho","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), University of T\u00fcbingen, 72074 T\u00fcbingen, Germany"},{"name":"Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7817-4479","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Le Chi","family":"Cao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), University of T\u00fcbingen, 72074 T\u00fcbingen, Germany"},{"name":"Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue City 530000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eric A.","family":"Achidi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sciences, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3459-6554","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephen Mbigha","family":"Ghogomu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon"},{"name":"Faculty of Sciences, University of Buea, Buea P.O. Box 63, Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9809-9883","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thirumalaisamy P.","family":"Velavan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Medicine, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), University of T\u00fcbingen, 72074 T\u00fcbingen, Germany"},{"name":"Vietnamese German Center for Medical Research (VG-CARE), Hanoi 100000, Vietnam"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2025, April 04). Global Hepatitis Report 2024: Action for Access in Low-and Middle-Income Countries. World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2024. 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