Hossam Hassan Khamis1, Azza Galal Farghaly2, Hanan Zakaria Shatat3, Engy Mohamed El-Ghitany4. 1. Resident Physician, Alexandria fever hospital, Alexandria, Egypt hossam.khamis84@gmail.com. 2. Professor, Tropical Health Department, Tropical Health High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt. 3. Professor, Tropical Health Department of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt. 4. Assistant Professor, Tropical Health Department, Tropical Health High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world. Screening of HCV during pregnancy is not as routinely done in Egypt compared with many other countries, although pregnancy is an important period where screening of HCV infection is important owing to low immunity, the possibility of vertical transmission and possible horizontal transmission to the baby or other household contacts at a later stage. AIM: To determine the seroprevalence of HCV antibodies (HCV-Ab) and risk factors associated with infection among pregnant women in Egypt. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A total of 360 pregnant women visiting the healthcare units for routine antenatal care were tested using third generation ELISA test for detection of HCV-Ab. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done for seropositive cases. RESULTS: A total of 6.1% (22/360) of pregnant women were HCV seropositive; of them only 45% (9/20) had viraemia. Risk factors were their age, the age of their husband and the presence of chronic liver disease in the husband. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HCV infection in pregnant women in Egypt appears to be lower than previously reported. The detected risk factors are old age of the pregnant women and their husbands, and chronic liver disease in the husbands. None of the other known risk factors was found to be significantly associated with HCV infection in pregnant women.
BACKGROUND: Egypt has the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the world. Screening of HCV during pregnancy is not as routinely done in Egypt compared with many other countries, although pregnancy is an important period where screening of HCV infection is important owing to low immunity, the possibility of vertical transmission and possible horizontal transmission to the baby or other household contacts at a later stage. AIM: To determine the seroprevalence of HCV antibodies (HCV-Ab) and risk factors associated with infection among pregnant women in Egypt. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A total of 360 pregnant women visiting the healthcare units for routine antenatal care were tested using third generation ELISA test for detection of HCV-Ab. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done for seropositive cases. RESULTS: A total of 6.1% (22/360) of pregnant women were HCV seropositive; of them only 45% (9/20) had viraemia. Risk factors were their age, the age of their husband and the presence of chronic liver disease in the husband. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HCV infection in pregnant women in Egypt appears to be lower than previously reported. The detected risk factors are old age of the pregnant women and their husbands, and chronic liver disease in the husbands. None of the other known risk factors was found to be significantly associated with HCV infection in pregnant women.
Authors: Kathleen B Schwarz; Philip Rosenthal; Karen F Murray; Jonathan R Honegger; Winita Hardikar; Rosie Hague; Naveen Mittal; Benedetta Massetto; Diana M Brainard; Chia-Hsiang Hsueh; Jiang Shao; Bandita Parhy; Michael R Narkewicz; Girish S Rao; Suzanne Whitworth; Sanjay Bansal; William F Balistreri Journal: Hepatology Date: 2019-08-19 Impact factor: 17.425