Hepatitis C virus: Epidemiology and transmission

Abstract

come apparent because of improved diagnostic techniques Hepatitis C Virus: Epidemiology and physicians' awareness to the possibility of therapeutic intervention. This short review will focus on selected aspects and Transmission of the epidemiology and modes of transmission of HCV. MODES OF TRANSMISSIONTOBIAS HEINTGES AND JACK R. WANDS HCV is generally transmitted by the parenteral route. Well known and common modes of transmission involve transfuHepatitis C virus (HCV) is an RNA virus with a genomic size of 9.6 kb. More than 50% of individuals exposed to HCV sions and/or parenteral contact with blood products. 1 However, up to 50% of individuals deny exposure to any of these develop chronic infection. Of those individuals chronically infected, approximately 20% to 30% will develop liver cirrho-known risk factors, and infection is often designated as ''community acquired.'' 1 Before the initiation of HCV antibody sis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma when followed for twenty to thirty years. Methods to identify HCV include a screening, approximately 10% to 20% of individuals, who had received multiple blood transfusions or plasma products, highly sensitive third generation immunoassay that detects antibodies to structural and nonstructural proteins in serum. seroconverted to anti-HCV positive. Thus, the relative risk was 0.45% per unit transfused. 2,3 However, the introduction Viremia may be detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology. The role of HCV of routine HCV antibody screening of blood products has led to a sharp decrease in the transmission rate of HCV. For infection in acute and chronic liver disease has recently be FIG. 1. World map illustrating the prevalence of HCV antibodies in blood donors as measured by second or third generation assays. 35,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]57,74,[85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95] Abbreviations: HCV, hepatitis C virus; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus.

Hepatitis C virus in long-term bone marrow transplant survivors

“…4,6,[10][11][12][13] For example, 34% in USA, although the prevalence of HCV positivity in the general population is similar to Brazil nowadays. [14][15][16] This study infers that the prevalence found is higher than we had expected. Among the 31 positive or indeterminate EIA patients studied by PCR for HCV, 80.6% had viremia, showing a good correlation between EIA and PCR in that population.…”

Seroepidemiology of hepatitis A, B, C, and E viruses infection among preschool children in Taiwan

“…HCV infection has been found worldwide. Infectivity rates very widely between 0.3% and 14.5% [Heintges and Wands, 1997]. There is a relatively low prevalence of HCV antibodies (anti-HCV) in blood donors derived from the Unite States and Northern Europe.…”

Hepatitis C among former athletes: association with the use of injectable stimulants in the past

“…These observations are in accordance with sparse reports in the literature that pointed at a more frequent distribution of hepatitis C among former athletes (Paraná et al 1999, Souto et al 2003. In an attempt to explain this finding, a hypothesis was formulated: that the use of injectable vitamin complexes and stimulants -a practice reported as common by individuals engaged in sporting activities some decades ago -could be accountable for the dissemination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), since the use of contaminated syringes and needles is one of the main known means of transmission of this agent (Heintges & Wands 1997, Shepard et al 2005.…”