BACKGROUND: Prevalence of hepatitis C virus and that of its main genotypes varies between the worlds geographic regions. The risk factors for infection with HCV include blood transfusion, tattoing and injecting drug use. OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of HCV and determine its main genotypes among a cohort of drug users in Kenya. DESIGN: A laboratory based study. SETTING: Hepatitis research laboratory in the Centre for Virus Research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and fourteen male and 19 female intravenous and non-intravenous drug users aged between 15-55 years. RESULTS: Seventy four (22.2%) out of 333 samples tested positive for anti-HCV. Sixty nine out of the 74 serum samples were assayed for HCV RNA and 38 (55.5%) were positive. The RNA positive samples were further subjected to sequencing and 19 (73%) of the samples were classified as genotype 1a, while seven (27%) samples were classified as genotype 4. Genotypes 2, 3, 5 and 6 were not identified in this study. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate a high HCV infection prevalence among this cohort of drug users (22.2%) as compared to that of the general population, which is estimated to be 0.2-0.9%. The study also confirms the presence of at least two major genotypes among Kenyan drug users (genotypes 1 and 4).
BACKGROUND: Prevalence of hepatitis C virus and that of its main genotypes varies between the worlds geographic regions. The risk factors for infection with HCV include blood transfusion, tattoing and injecting drug use. OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of HCV and determine its main genotypes among a cohort of drug users in Kenya. DESIGN: A laboratory based study. SETTING:Hepatitis research laboratory in the Centre for Virus Research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and fourteen male and 19 female intravenous and non-intravenous drug users aged between 15-55 years. RESULTS: Seventy four (22.2%) out of 333 samples tested positive for anti-HCV. Sixty nine out of the 74 serum samples were assayed for HCV RNA and 38 (55.5%) were positive. The RNA positive samples were further subjected to sequencing and 19 (73%) of the samples were classified as genotype 1a, while seven (27%) samples were classified as genotype 4. Genotypes 2, 3, 5 and 6 were not identified in this study. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate a high HCV infection prevalence among this cohort of drug users (22.2%) as compared to that of the general population, which is estimated to be 0.2-0.9%. The study also confirms the presence of at least two major genotypes among Kenyan drug users (genotypes 1 and 4).
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Authors: Nyashadzaishe Mafirakureva; Jack Stone; Hannah Fraser; Yvonne Nzomukunda; Aron Maina; Angela W Thiong'o; Kibango Walter Kizito; Esther W K Mucara; C Inés González Diaz; Helgar Musyoki; Bernard Mundia; Peter Cherutich; Mercy Nyakowa; John Lizcano; Nok Chhun; Ann Kurth; Matthew J Akiyama; Wanjiru Waruiru; Parinita Bhattacharjee; Charles Cleland; Dmytro Donchuk; Niklas Luhmann; Anne Loarec; David Maman; Josephine Walker; Peter Vickerman Journal: Addiction Date: 2021-07-28 Impact factor: 6.526
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