Hepatitis C in Egypt

The following background data on Hepatitis C in Egypt are abstracted from Gideon www.GideonOnline.com and the Gideon e-book series. [1,2] Primary references available on request. Incidence and Prevalence: Hepatitis C is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Egypt. The nationwide carriage rate in 1997 was estimated at 6 to 8 million, or 18.1% of the population – the highest rate in the world. A study published in 2010 estimated the yearly rate at 500,000 new cases (0.7% of the population); while a study published in 2013 estimated the yearly rate at fewer than 150,000 cases. An analysis published in 2009 predicted that 127,821 deaths from chronic liver disease and 117,556 deaths from hepatocellular carcinoma would occur in Egypt over the next 20 years The high rate of Hepatitis C infection in Egypt is largely attributed to previous mass-injection (antimony tartrate) treatment campaigns for schistosomiasis, which involved repeated use non-sterilized needles. 84% of patients who had received intravenous schistosomiasis therapy during the 1980′s were found to be HCV-positive; and anti-Schistosoma antibodies were found in 29% of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection (2013 publication). There is also evidence for ongoing transmission of hepatitis C from parents to children Co-infection by other hepato-tropic viruses is common. 72.0% of children with hepatitis C are seropositive toward hepatitis E virus. (2008 publication); and occult Hepatitis...
Source: GIDEON blog - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Ebooks Epidemiology ProMED Egypt hepatitis c Source Type: blogs