title: Preliminary investigation on intrafamilial spread of hepatitis C virus (HCV).
abstract: To determine the risk of cohabitant HCV infection, we investigated the sera of 101 family members of 53 anti-HCV antibody positive chronic liver disease patients. Altogether 14.8% of the cohabitants were also anti-HCV antibody positive, compared to a prevalence of 1.4% in the general population. These results suggest that hepatitis-C-virus may spread by person-to-person infection.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious Disease, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mughini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cacopardo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fatuzzo
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Celesia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: La Rosa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oddo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tosto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cosentino
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nigro
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005192:Family Health; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies