BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and schistosomiasis are major public health problems in the Nile Delta of Egypt. To control schistosomiasis, mass treatment campaigns using tartar emetic injections were conducted in the 1960s through 1980s. Evidence suggests that inadequately sterilized needles used in these campaigns contributed to the transmission of HCV in the region. To corroborate this evidence, this study evaluates whether HCV infections clustered within houses in which household members had received parenteral treatment for schistosomiasis.MethodsA serosurvey was conducted in a village in the Nile Delta and residents were questioned about prior treatment for schistosomiasis. Sera were evaluated for the presence of antibodies to HCV. The GEE2 approach was used to test for clustering of HCV infections, where correlation of HCV infections within household members who had been treated for schistosomiasis was the parameter of interest.ResultsA history of parenteral treatment for schistosomiasis was observed to cluster within households, OR for clustering: 2.44 (95% CI: 1.47–4.06). Overall, HCV seropositivity was 40% (321/796) and was observed to cluster within households that had members who had received parenteral treatment for schistosomiasis, OR for clustering: 1.76 (95% CI: 1.05–2.95). No such evidence for clustering was found in the remaining households.ConclusionClustering of HCV infections and receipt of parenteral treatment for schistosomiasis within the same households provides further evidence of an association between the schistosomiasis treatment campaigns and the high HCV seroprevalence rates currently observed in the Nile delta of Egypt.

Abstract. Residents of Egypt's Nile river delta have among the world's highest seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. To assess the impact of HCV on chronic liver disease, we studied the association between HCV, other hepatitis viruses, and cirrhotic liver disease in a cross-sectional, community-based survey of 801 persons aged Ն 10 years living in a semi-urban, Nile delta village. Residents were systematically sampled using questionnaires, physical examination, abdominal ultrasonography and serologically for antibodies to HCV (confirmed by a thirdgeneration immunoblot assay) and to hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV). The seroprevalence of HCV increased with age from 19% in persons 10-19 years old to about 60% in persons 30 years and older. Although no practices that might facilitate HCV transmission were discovered, the seroprevalence of HCV was significantly associated with remote (Ͼ 1 year) histories of schistosomiasis. Sonographic evidence of cirrhosis was present in 3% (95% CI: 1%, 4%) of the population (0.7% of persons under 30 years of age and in 5% of older persons), and was significantly associated with HCV seroreactivity. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that past mass parenteral chemotherapy campaigns for schistosomiasis facilitated HCV transmission, and that HCV may be a major cause of the high prevalence of liver cirrhosis in this Nile village.

level of significance there wa? a significant difference in the PER values of bread made with 15 and 20% lentil flour. Incorporating broad bean flour into bread at a 20% level had a significant effect on the NPR at 1 and 5 % level of significance. At 1 "/,level of significance the only significant increase in NPR was noticed using the 20% level of lentil flour.Food, and its inadequate intake and utilizable proteins, stand today as the most vital problem, especially in developing countries. Egypt is one of the developing countries where protein malnutrition remains the major problem of nutrition, and in which cereals make a greater contribution than any other food group to both energy and protein content, and cereals supply about 64-75 % of total protein consumed. Satisfactory protein concentration may be achieved by supplementing the cereal grains with animal products or with other vegetable sources of protein. Legumes are a good source of vegetable protein. Leguminous seeds such as broad beans, lentils, lupines, peas, fenugreek, . , . etc. have a high protein content. Thus, they are of good supplementary value to cereal grains in raising their protein quality by corresponding blending of both. This fact underlies the incorporation of legumes in cereal products, such as bread, to make a loaf of higher nutritive value.The aim of the present paper is to study (a) acceptability of Egyptian bread made from wheat flour supplemented with different percentages of either broad bean flour or lentils flour and (b) the protein quality and the nutritive value ofdifferent types of bread.

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