title: Seroepidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in Taiwan.
abstract: The prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus among Chinese subjects in Taiwan was evaluated using a commercially available enzyme immunoassay. The overall prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus was 0.28% among 1,419 healthy subjects, 0.8% among 500 unselected paid blood donors and 0.4% among 793 pregnant women. The three offspring of the mothers positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus were all found to be positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus at birth but all became negative by the age of 6 mo. Among healthy subjects, none of 1,000 school children and young adolescents had antibody to hepatitis C virus. Among patients in selected "high-risk" groups, antibody to hepatitis C virus was detected in 100% of 9 hemophiliac patients who were positive for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus, in 53% of 115 intravenous drug abusers, in 34.4% of 96 hemodialysis patient and in 15.8% of 19 homosexual men who were positive for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus. Only 7.1% of 196 prostitutes, 5.9% of 34 spouses of patients positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus and 0.5% of 201 brothelgoers had antibody to hepatitis C virus. These findings suggest that hepatitis C virus is transmitted mainly by the parenteral route in Taiwan. Transmission from mother to infant is not an important mode of spread of hepatitis C virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011477:Sex Work; D012747:Sexual Partners; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies