ABSTRACT
Background: Hepatitis B virus [HBV] and Hepatitis C virus [HCV] infections are major cause of end stage liver disorders including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas. World Health Organization [WHO] has ranked Pakistan amongst the most affected and at-risk nations for HBV and HCV infections. It is therefore important to determine HBV and HCV prevalence in various communities of Pakistan
Objective: To determine HBV and HCV seropositivity in rural population of Rahim Yar Khan
Patients and Methods: A total of 1999 adults [more than 30 years of age] from rural population of Rahim Yar Khan were included in the study from August 2011 to March 2012. Individuals under study were investigated for the levels of Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] and anti HCV antibody levels using Immunochromatographic strip test [ICT strip test]. Additional information was collected in a pre-designed questionnaire that included demographic details and other factors such as occupation and level of education. Data was entered and analyzed by SPSS version 16
Results: Of the 1999 individuals investigated in this study, 53 [2.7%] individuals were positive for Hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] and 476 [23.8%] were positive for anti HCV antibodies. Moreover, 13 individuals [0.7%] had co-viral infection as they were positive for both HBsAg and anti HCV antibodies. Among HBsAg positive individuals 60% were male, whereas, among Anti HCV positive individuals, 58% were females. Majority of the HBsAg and Anti HCV positive individuals were illiterate 58% and 63% respectively. 43% of the HBsAg positive individuals were self employed, whereas, 54% of the Anti HCV positive were house wives
Conclusion: This study has shown that HCV infection is more prevalent as compared to HBV in this part of the country. It is also noted that certain risk groups such as self employed individuals, housewives and those with low level of education are prone to HBV and HCV infections