Mbangiwa, TshepisoKasvosve, IshmaelAnderson, MotswediThami, Prisca K.Choga, Wonderful T.Needleman, AustenPhinius, Bonolo B.Moyo, SikhulileLeteane, MelvinLeidner, JeanBlackard, Jason T.Mayondi, GloriaKammerer, BetsyMusonda, RosemaryEssex, MaxLockman, ShahinGaseitsiwe, Simani2018-06-272018Mbangiwa, T., I. Kasvosve, M. Anderson, P. K. Thami, W. T. Choga, A. Needleman, B. B. Phinius, et al. 2018. “Chronic and Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Pregnant Women in Botswana.” Genes 9 (5): 259. doi:10.3390/genes9050259. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes9050259.http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:37160345The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a global problem; however, the burden of HBV infection in pregnant women in Botswana is unknown. We sought to determine the prevalence of chronic and occult HBV infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and -uninfected pregnant women in Botswana. Samples from 752 pregnant women were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HBsAg-positive samples were tested for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and HBV DNA load. Samples that were HBsAg negative were screened for occult HBV infection by determining the HBV DNA load. HBV genotypes were determined based on a 415-base-pair fragment of the surface gene. Among the 752 women tested during pregnancy or early postpartum, 16 (2.1%) (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.0–2.2) were HBsAg-positive. The prevalence of chronic HBV infection was higher (3.1%) among HIV-infected (95% CI: 3.0–3.2) compared with HIV-uninfected women (1.1%) (95% CI: 1.07–1.1, p = 0.057). Among the 622 HBsAg-negative women, the prevalence of occult HBV infection was 6.6% (95% CI: 6.5–6.7). Three of thirteen HBsAg-positive participants were HBeAg-positive, and all were HIV-negative. Of the 11 maternal samples successfully genotyped, five (45.5%) were genotype D3, five (45.5%) were genotype A1, and one was genotype E (9%). Low and similar proportions of HIV-infected and -uninfected pregnant women in Botswana had occult or chronic HBV infection. We identified a subset of HIV-negative pregnant women who had high HBV DNA levels and were HBeAg-positive, and thus likely to transmit HBV to their infants.en-USpregnant womenhepatitis B virus (HBV)human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)BotswanaJournal Article2018-06-2710.3390/genes9050259