Hepatitis c among young male offenders admitted to the central jail, Lahore

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to observe intraprison incidence of hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection among young offenders admitted to the Central Jail, Lahore. The evaluation was made incidence among 728 young inmates [aged 16 - 30 years] at the Central Jail, Lahore, between June 2009 and November 2009. Screening for Anti-HCV antibodies was performed on immunochromatographic devices and all positive and borderline cases were retested with ELISA system. Among 728 participants, 129 demonstrated serologic evidence of HCV infection. Frequency was calculated 17.7%. The study indicates that HCV infection is highly prevalent among young male offenders and highlights the need to deliver awareness, prevention, and medical management to make them a healthy and useful citizen