Risk factors associated with HCV infection among adults in Damietta Governorate, Egypt

Abstract

Aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and mortality worldwide. Egypt has the highest burden of Hepatitis C in the world. HCV prevalence is directly related to the prevalence of persons who routinely share injection equipment and to the prevalence of unsafe parenteral practices in healthcare settings. The study aimed to identify risk factors associated with HCV infection among adults. Material and Methods: This case control study nested from a household survey that was conducted to screen for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus was conducted in Damietta Governorate, Egypt. One hundred-fifty cases and controls were randomly selected from those showed positive HCV (278) and 300 controls were randomly selected from those showed negative HCV (2699). Results: Participants were aged between 20 and 67 years (mean 42.0 +10.6 years). The study revealed a significant difference between case and control group regarding age, residence, education level and marital status (P = 0.001). Case-patients were more likely than controls to have exposure to dental procedure, previous stitches, surgical operation schistosomiasis injection treatment, blood transfusion and intravenous(IV) fluid intake were significantly associated with HCV infection (P < 0.05). Also, unsafe community practices (cupping, acupuncture, shared shaving razor, traditional cauterization, needle or sharp stick and tattooing) were significantly different between HCV-infected patients and controls (P < 0.01). In multivariable analysis, marital status and rural residence and history of stitches, intravenous fluid, dental procedure, renal dialysis, sharing shaving razor, acupuncture, needle or sharp stick and cupping were associated with higher odds of having HCV. Discussion: The results of this study showed that exposure to unsafe medical procedures and social practices were risk factors for HCV infection. Promotion of infection control programs in healthcare settings and health education campaigns to increase the awareness and empowerment of the community are strongly recommended.

Analisis Deskripsi Faktor Risiko Infeksi Hepatitis C

“…Literatur sebelumnya menyebutkan bahwa beberapa penularan HCV di dunia diakibatkan oleh penggunaan narkotika suntik (60%), kontak seksual (15%), tranfusi darah sekitar 10%, melalui sarana hemodialisis dan perawatan perinatal sebanyak 5% (8). Selain itu, kasus hepatitis C lebih banyak ditemukan pada individu yang telah menikah dan tinggal di wilayah pedesaan (9). Studi lainnya menyimpulkan bahwa laki-laki dan konsumsi alkohol yang tinggi lebih rentan tertular hepatitis C (10).…”

“…Misalnya, sebagian besar studi ini terbatas pada populasi berisiko tinggi (14)(15)(16). Sebagian lainnya terfokus pada studi skrining di kalangan pekerja medis (9,17). Penelitian berbasis rumah sakit ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan beberapa faktor risiko potensial terhadap infeksi hepatitis C menggunakan desain cross-sectional dengan menargetkan seluruh pasien yang melakukan pemeriksaan anti HCV selama dua tahun pengamatan.…”

Pollutions and Incidence of Liver and Breast Cancer in Damietta Governorate, Egypt: A Multiregional Analysis

“…Treatment options for liver cancer depend on the stage of the cancer and may include surgery, liver transplant, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy (Brandi G, 2013). Symptoms of liver cancer may include losing weight without trying, loss of appetite, upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, general weakness and fatigue, and abdominal swelling (Salama, 2020).…”