Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in north-eastern Brazil: a population-based study

• Published in: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 100; no. 7; pp. 663 - 668
• Main Authors: Zarife, Maria Alice S., Silva, Luciano K., Silva, Maria Betânia S., Lopes, Gisele B., Barreto, Maurício L., Teixeira, Maria da Glória, Dourado, Inês, Reis, Mitermayer G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2006; Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Brazil - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Female; Genotype; HCV; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - genetics; Hepatitis C - immunology; Hepatitis C virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoblotting - methods; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Population Surveillance - methods; Population-based study; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; RNA, Viral - analysis; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Urban Health; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; South America; Brazil; America; Population-based study; Brazil; Genotype; HCV; Hepatitis C virus; Prevalence; Hepatic disease; Epidemiology; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Tropical medicine; Flaviviridae; Hepacivirus; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0035-9203; 1878-3503
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2005.09.009

In general, the prevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) are estimated based on the ambulatory clinic or hospital population. In the present work, a population-based study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of HCV infection in Salvador, Brazil. A total of 1308 serum samples were collected from 30 ‘sentinel areas’, and the prevalence of HCV infection was determined by ELISA and confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay and RT-PCR. The overall prevalence of HCV infection was 1.5% (20/1308). Prevalence was greater among those aged 35 years or older and those with more education. Genotype 3 was the most common (53.3%), followed by genotypes 1 (40%) and 2 (6.7%). These observations are different from those found in a prior survey of hospital and ambulatory patients in Salvador, who were most frequently infected with genotype 1, followed by genotypes 3 and 2, respectively.