HEPATITIS C VIRUS TRANSMISSION RISK FACTORS
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is major health hazard. About 350 million people havebeen suffering from HCV infection in the world. HCV progresses into chronic liver disease in 50-
80% of cases and may end up in cirrhosis. This study was carried out to explore the transmission
of risk factors for HCV. Methods: This prospective study included 210 consecutive HCV patients
of either sex, ranging from 20-69 years of age, referred to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zyad Hospital/
Combined Military Hospital, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir. In patients having HCV positive by
ELISA, the PCR qualitative tests of HCV RNA were performed. A questionnaire was filled for
every patient regarding possible risk factors. Results: Most common risk factors among HCV
patients were surgical procedures (p<0.001), followed by injections (p<0.05), dental surgeries
(p<0.010), ear and nose piercing (p<0.001), and shaving (p<0.001). Univariate analysis identified
tattooing (p=0.033) also as an important risk factor. Conclusion: Multiple risk factors have been
identified in nearly all HCV infected patients. The identification of multiple risk factors of
hepatitis C acquisition may have important implications in the approach to HCV surveillance,
prevention, and management.
Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, Polymerase chain reaction, PCR, Risk Factors
References
Global surveillance and control of hepatitis C. Report of a WHO
Consultation organized in collaboration with the Viral Hepatitis
Prevention Board, Antwerp, Belgium. J Viral Hepat 1999;6:35-47.
Pawlotsky JM. Pathophysiology of hepatitis C virus infarction
and related liver disease. Trend Microbial 2004:12:96-102.
Merkinaite S, Lazarus JV, Gore C. Addressing HCV infection in
Europe: reported, estimated and undiagnosed cases. Cent Eur J
Public Health 2008;16:106-10.
Jafri, W, Subhan A. Hepatitis C in Pakistan: magnitude,
genotype, disease characteristics and therapeutic response. Trop
Gastroenterol 2008;29:194-201.
Velati C, Romano L, Fomiatti L, Baruffi L, Zanetti AR. Impact
of nucleic acid testing for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and
human immunodeficiency virus on the safety of blood supply in
Italy: a 6-year survey. Transfusion 2008;48:2205-13.
Bari A, Akhtar S, Rahbar MH, Luby SP. Risk factors for
hepatitis C virus infection in male adults in RawalpindiIslamabad, Pakistan. Trop Med Int Health 2001;6:732-8.
Idrees M, Riazuddin S. Frequency distribution of hepatitis C
virus genotypes in different geographical regions of Pakistan and
their possible routes of transmission. BMC Infect Dis 2008;8:69.
Qureshi H, Arif A, Riaz K, Alam SE, Ahmed W, Mujeeb SA.
Determination of risk factors for hepatitis B and C in male
patients suffering from chronic hepatitis. BMC Res Notes
;2:212.
Raja NS, Janjua KA. Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection
in Pakistan. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2008;41:4-8.
Khan YP, Bhutta SZ, Munim S, Bhutta ZA. Maternal health and
survival in Pakistan: issues and options. J Obstet Gynaecol Can
;31:920-9.
Janjua NZ, Hutin YJ, Akhtar S, Ahmad K. Population beliefs
about the efficacy of injections in Pakistan's Sindh province.
Public Health 2006;120:824-33.
Luby S, Khanani R, Zia M, Vellani Z, Ali M, Qureshi AH, et al.
Evaluation of blood bank practices in Karachi, Pakistan, and the
government's response. J Pak Med Assoc 2006;56:825-30.
Ahmad W, Qureshi H, Arif A, Alam SE. Changing trend of viral
hepatitis: A twenty one year report from Pakistan Medical
Research Council Research Centre, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical
Centre, Karachi. J Pak Med Assoc 2010;60:86-9.
Siddiqui FA, Ehrinpreis MN, Janisse J, Dhar R, May E,
Mutchnick MG. Demographics of a large cohort of urban chronic
hepatitis C patients. Hepatol Int 2008;2:376-81.
Altaf A, Janjua NZ, Hutin Y. The cost of unsafe injections in
Pakistan and challenges for prevention program. J Coll
Physicians Surg Pak 2006;16:622-4.
Alter MJ. Epidemiology of hepatitis C in the West. Semin Liver
Dis 1995:15:514.
Wasley A, Alter MJ. Epidemiology of hepatitis C geographic
differences and temporary trends. Semin Liver Dis 2000;20:116.
al-Faleh FZ, Ramia S, Arif M, Ayoola EA, al-Rashed RS, alJeffry M, et al. Profile of hepatitis C virus and the possible modes
of transmission of the virus in the Gizan area of Saudi Arabia: a
community-based study. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 1995;89:431-7.
Khattak MF, Salamat N, Bhatti FA, Qureshi TZ. Seroprevalence
of hepatitis B, C, and HIV in blood donors in northern Pakistan. J
Pak Med Assoc 2002;52:398-402.
Robert L, Carithers JR. Hepatitis C and renal failure. Am J Med
;107:90-4.
Samuel MC, Doherty PM, Bulterys M, Jenison SA. Association
between heroin use, needle sharing and tattoos received in prison
with hepatitis B and C positivity among street-recruited injecting
drug users in New Mexico, USA. Epidemiol Infect
;127:475-84.
Alter HJ, Seeff LB. Recovery, persistence, and sequelae in
hepatitis C virus infection: a perspective on long-term outcome.
Seminars in Liver Disease 2000;20:17-35.
J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2012;24(3-4)
http://www.ayubmed.edu.pk/JAMC/24-3/Rathore.pdf
Hahn JA, Page-shafer K, Lum PJ, Ochoa K, Moss AR. Hepatitis
C virus infection and needle exchange use among young injection
drug users in San Francisco. Hepatology. 2001;34:180-6.
Miro JM, Laguno M, Moreno A, Rimola A. Management of end
stage liver disease (ESLD): what is the current role of orthotopic
liver transplantation (OLT)? J Hepatol 2006;44:S140-5.
Alter MJ, Kruszon-Moran D, Nainan OV, McQuillan GM, Gao
F, Moyer LA, et al. Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in
the United States, 1988 through 1994. N Engl J Med
;341(8):556-62.
World Health Organization. Hepatitis C -global prevalence
(update) Wkly Epidemiol Rec 1999;74:425-7.
Touzet S, Kraemer L, Colin C, Pradat P, Lanoir D, Bailly F, et al.
Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in seven European
Union countries: a critical analysis of the literature. HENCORE
Group. (Hepatitis C European Network for Co-operative
Research. Eur J Gastrol Hepatol 2000;12:667-78.
Sagnelli E, Stroffolini T, Mele A, Almasio P, Coppola N,
Ferrigno L, et al. The importance of HCV on the burden of
chronic liver disease in Italy: a multicenter prevalence study of
,997 cases. J Med Virol 2005;75:522-7.
Perz JF, Armstrong GL, Farrington LA, Hutin YJ, Bell BP. The
contributions of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections
to cirrhosis and primary liver cancer worldwide. J Hepatol
;45:529-38.
Stroffolini T. Etiological factor of hepatocellular carcinoma in
Italy. Minerva Gastroenterologica Dietologica 2005;51:1-5.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad is an OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL which means that all content is FREELY available without charge to all users whether registered with the journal or not. The work published by J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad is licensed and distributed under the creative commons License CC BY ND Attribution-NoDerivs. Material printed in this journal is OPEN to access, and are FREE for use in academic and research work with proper citation. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad accepts only original material for publication with the understanding that except for abstracts, no part of the data has been published or will be submitted for publication elsewhere before appearing in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. The Editorial Board of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of material printed in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. However, conclusions and statements expressed are views of the authors and do not reflect the opinion/policy of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad or the Editorial Board.
USERS are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
AUTHORS retain the rights of free downloading/unlimited e-print of full text and sharing/disseminating the article without any restriction, by any means including twitter, scholarly collaboration networks such as ResearchGate, Academia.eu, and social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Scholar and any other professional or academic networking site.
