Prevalence of hepatitis C virus in an elderly population in rural areas of Sharkia governorate, Egypt

Background and aim: Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world. At an older age, infected patients usually have lower rates of HCV clearance as well as higher rates of cirrhosis. The aim of this work was to study the actual prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of HCV infection in elderly Egyptian individuals (>60 years) living in rural areas of Sharkia governorate and to assess the role of associated diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus and hypertension) that are common in this age group. Patients and methods: A total of 115 male and 99 female nonhospitalized elderly individuals (mean age 64.37±4.74 years) were enrolled in this study. They were recruited from rural areas in Sharkia by a systemic 1 : 4 sampling procedure. A questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics was conducted, and information on risk factors for HCV infection and history of other comorbid diseases was recorded. Serodiagnosis of HCV infection was performed and for the positive cases, abdominal ultrasonography and liver function tests were performed. Results: The prevalence of HCV was 28% among the group studied. No association was found between sociodemographic data and HCV prevalence. Among the risk factors, a history of schistosomiasis treatment, blood transfusion, previous use of glass syringes, previous surgery, previous endoscopic intervention, repeated dental manipulations, and the presence of other infected members in the family were all significan...
Source: Egyptian Liver Journal - Category: Gastroenterology Tags: Original articles Source Type: research