ABSTRACT
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C virus among injecting drugs users, furthermore different genotypes of HCV infection and their effect on viral load were also found and subsequently most prevalent subtype was predicted
Methods: All samples were processed for Anti-HCV antibody detection through ELISA by using third generation ELISA Kit. The Anti-HCV positive serum samples were stored for RT-PCR to estimate the viral load and genotypes of HCV for study. Injecting drug users selected from in and around Lahore Metropolitan from July 2012 to August 2013 was included. The data analysis was completed by using SPSS version 16. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to be significant
Results: A total of 241 Injecting drug users were enrolled and screened for Anti HCV in the study. Prevalence of HCV infection in IDUs from Lahore was found to be 36.09%. Education [p=0.000], low socioeconomic status [p=0.011], Blood transfusion [0.003], any tattoo on the body [p=0.002], use of injectable drugs with reused syringes [p=0.000] and sharing of syringes [p=0.001] in groups was significantly associated with HCV infection. Some utensils were also significantly associated with HCV status. The most common subtype of HCV genotype was 3a [n=65] followed by 2a [n=15] and 1a [n=6]
Conclusion: The study reveals that IDUs with reused syringes status and sharing of syringes in group had more chances to get HCV infection. The viral load in IDUs infected with different subtypes of genotype was significantly associated
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Nursing staff is at potential danger of getting HCV infection. Objective of present study is to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of hepatitis C among nurses in Lahore, Pakistan. It also aimed to estimate the HCV genotypes and find out any relationship between their working area and the incidence of HCV infection
Setting: Various public and private hospitals of Lahore
Period: January 2013 to December 2013
Subjects and Method: This study comprised 186 Nurses. All the samples were processed for Anti-HCV antibody detection through ELISA by using third generation ELISA Kit. Genotyping was also performed on all positive samples. In this study the data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. A P-value < 0.05 was considered to be significant
Results: A total of 186 nurses were enrolled and screened for Anti HCV in the study. The mean age of reactive and non reactive nurses was 22.33 +/- 1.15 and 23.66 +/- 1.97 years, respectively. Working experience in surgical wards, habits for going to beauty salon as well as the purpose for which nurses visited beauty salon was significantly associated with HCV status. i.e. p-value<0.05. Out of 9 reactive nurses, 8 patient nurses had 3a viral genotype while 01 patient had un-typeable viral genotype
Conclusion: In our study nine nurses have HCV infection and are at danger of the disease.The working area especially surgical wards is a source of infection of HCV