High Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A, B, C, and E Viruses in Residents in an Egyptian Village in the Nile Delta: A Pilot Study

Darwish, Mahmoud; Faris, Rifky; Clemens, John D.; Rao, Malla R.; Edelman, Robert

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1996.54.554

Cited by 104 publications

(80 citation statements)

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“…Higher prevalence rates have been found in Southeast Asian, Northern African, and Arabian countries. The highest prevalence has been reported in the Egypt where up to 14.5% [Darwish et al, 1996]. The HCV prevalence was 1% among voluntary blood donors in Taiwan [Chen et al, 1990b].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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

Lin

Chen

et al. 2005

Journal of Medical Virology

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Taiwan was a hyperendemic area for hepatitis A and B viruses (HAV and HBV) infection before late 1980s. To study the seroprevalence of hepatitis A, B, C, and E viruses (HCV and HEV) infection among preschool children in Taiwan, a community‐based survey was carried out in 54 kindergartens in 10 urban areas, 10 rural areas, and 2 aboriginal areas randomly selected through stratified sampling. Serum specimens of 2,538 preschool children were screened for the hepatitis A, C, and E antibodies by a commercially available enzyme immunoassay and for HBV markers by radioimmunoassay methods. The multivariate‐adjusted odd ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through the multiple logistic regression analysis. Females had a statistically significantly higher HAV seroprevalence than males. The seroprevalence of HCV infection increased significantly with age. The larger the sibship size, the higher the seroprevalence of HBV infection. Aboriginal children had a significantly higher seroprevalence of HBV and HEV infection and lower seroprevalence of HCV infection than non‐aboriginal children. A significantly higher seroprevalence of HBV infection was found in rural children than urban children. There was no significant association between serostatus of HAV and HEV infection and between serostatus of HBV and HCV infection among preschool children in Taiwan. The poor environmental and hygienic conditions in the aboriginal areas might play a role in infection with HBV and HEV. J. Med. Virol. 78:18–23, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, inc.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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

Lin

Chen

et al. 2005

Journal of Medical Virology

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“…It is also unclear what the long-term outcomes of these infections in Egyptians will be, particularly since the predominant HCV genotype in Egypt (type 4) differs from genotypes found in many other parts of the world and since HCV of Egyptians act within a milieu of many other infectious assaults capable of causing chronic liver sequelae, including hepatitis B infection and schistosomiasis. 2,3,6,7 Because of these uncertainties, we have undertaken a series of studies of HCV and other hepatitic infections in Kalama, a Nile delta village near Cairo. As reported elsewhere, 2 we first conducted a pilot survey in this village, using ad hoc sampling of the population, to determine whether the village might be suitable for the study of prevalence and sequelae of HCV.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2,3,6,7 Because of these uncertainties, we have undertaken a series of studies of HCV and other hepatitic infections in Kalama, a Nile delta village near Cairo. As reported elsewhere, 2 we first conducted a pilot survey in this village, using ad hoc sampling of the population, to determine whether the village might be suitable for the study of prevalence and sequelae of HCV. This initial study revealed an astonishingly high seroprevalence of hepatitis C in persons ten years of age and over, peaking at 51% for persons aged 40-67 years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 Studies of the epidemiology of HCV infections have suggested that the Nile delta region of Egypt has among the highest prevalence rates of HCV in the world, with seroprevalence rates of 30-40% in villagers over the age of 30 years. [2][3][4][5] While these high prevalence rates raise substantial concern, the interpretation of past epidemiologic studies of HCV in Egypt has been limited by the sparse availability of population-based data, particularly from studies that have used modern laboratory techniques capable of diagnosing HCV infection with suitably high levels of diagnostic specificity. It is also unclear what the long-term outcomes of these infections in Egyptians will be, particularly since the predominant HCV genotype in Egypt (type 4) differs from genotypes found in many other parts of the world and since HCV of Egyptians act within a milieu of many other infectious assaults capable of causing chronic liver sequelae, including hepatitis B infection and schistosomiasis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hepatitis c and cirrhotic liver disease in the Nile delta of Egypt: a community-based study.

Darwish¹,

Faris²,

Darwish³

et al. 2001

Am J Trop Med Hyg

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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.

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“…29 It has been reported that HCV and HBV have a reciprocal inhibitory effect on each other's replication levels. 11,30,31 Coinfection with HBV is believed to lead to an aggravated course of disease, and faster progression to HCC.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptians with and without a history of hepatitis B virus infection: association with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection but not with (HCV) RNA level.

Yates

Hafez²,

Beld³

et al. 1999

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Abstract. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Egypt, using hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) as virus controls. In addition, the association of HCC with HCV RNA levels among persons seropositive for HCV was analyzed. We compared 131 patients with proven HCC, 247 with bladder cancer, and 466 healthy hospital employees. Age, sex, and place of residence were recorded to study confounding factors. Among the healthy controls, 16% were seropositive for HCV, 21% for HBV, and 31% for HEV. When healthy controls were age-matched with HCC patients, the latter were significantly (P Ͻ 0.001) more often HCV seropositive (67%) than were the controls (30%). The seropositivity for HBV and HEV did not differ significantly in frequency between the two groups. The seropositivity for HCV was also significantly (P Ͻ 0.001) more often found in HCC patients (76%) than in BC patients (47%), with seroprevalences for HBV and HEV not differing significantly in these age-matched groups. In HBV-negative HCC and bladder cancer patients, seroprevalence for HCV was significantly (P ϭ 0.002) higher in HCC patients (68%) than in bladder cancer patients (36%). This difference was even more pronounced (P Ͻ 0.001) in HBV-positive HCC and bladder cancer patients (78% versus 52%, respectively). Of HCV-seropositive individuals, 49% were HCV RNA positive by branched DNA assay, and of these, 96% were infected by HCV genotype 4. No correlation between HCV RNA load and seropositivity of HBV or age or disease state was found. Infection with HCV and HCV-HBV double infection, but not HBV or HEV infection alone, is strongly correlated with HCC in Egypt.Hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes more than 90% of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B (NANBH) hepatitis.1-4 In more than 85% of HCV infections, the infection persists and leads to chronic hepatitis. 4,5 Once chronic hepatitis is established, it may slowly progress to worsening stages of fibrosis and cirrhosis and ultimately lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 1,[6][7][8] In the first two decades after acute HCV infection, both mortality and morbidity remain modest in frequency, but after this period both can be expected to increase.1,2 Infection with HCV is widely recognized as the most common indication for liver transplantation 9 in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Although no firm data are available, death rates for HCC in Egypt appear to be increasing over the last decade. 10,11 Hepatitis virus infections of any kind are highly prevalent in the general population. The relatively high prevalence of HCV infections in Egypt was first established in 1992 by Kamel and others. 12 Other groups thereafter found HCV seroprevalence rates ranging from 6% to 38% with an average of approximately 15%. [12][13][14][15][16] The reasons behind these high HCV infection rates being 5-35-fold higher than reported elsewhere in the world are still unknown. In Egypt, the HCV seroprevalence was 55% among ...

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High Seroprevalence of Hepatitis A, B, C, and E Viruses in Residents in an Egyptian Village in the Nile Delta: A Pilot Study

Cited by 104 publications

References 0 publications

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

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

Hepatitis c and cirrhotic liver disease in the Nile delta of Egypt: a community-based study.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptians with and without a history of hepatitis B virus infection: association with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection but not with (HCV) RNA level.

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