Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in hemodialysis patients in Sudan.

To estimate the prevalence of positivity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in the hemodialysis population in Sudan and the risk factors of this infection in them we studied 46 hemodialysis patients (34 males, 12 females) in the Khartoum Kidney Dialysis Center (KKDC) in December 1994. Also we studied 37 healthy staff members in that unit. The blood of both groups was screened for HCV antibodies using a second generation ELISA test and confirmed by two bead supplemental assays. In the patients group, 16 cases (34.9%) were confirmed seropositive for HCV. There was a history of jaundice in four them. The mean duration on dialysis was 3.28 years in the HCV seropositive group compared with 2.2 years in the HCV seronegative group (P < 0.05). The mean frequency of blood transfusion was 2.68 units of blood in the HCV seropositive group, while it was 3.16 units in the HCV seronegative group which was not significantly different. Only two patients had high liver enzymes in the HCV seropositive groups, while there were seven patients with high liver enzymes in the HCV seronegative group. There were two staff members (5.41%) with positive HCV antibodies, but none had a history of jaundice or elevated liver enzymes. Both staff members were not involved in the direct patients care. We conclude that the prevalence of HCV antibody positivity was high in the hemodialysis population in Sudan. Nosocomial transmission may be the factor of transmission since we found no correlation with the blood transfusions.