title: Seroprevalence survey of Egyptian tourism workers for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and Treponema pallidum infections: association of hepatitis C virus infections with specific regions of Egypt.
abstract: Blood samples from 740 Egyptian Nationals working in the tourism industry at two sites in the South Sinai governorate were screened for markers of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Treponema pallidum. Study subjects included 467 individuals from a rural seashore tourist village and 273 persons at two hotels in a well-established resort town. Subjects' ages ranged from 15 to 70 years; 99.3% were male. The prevalence of serologic markers for currently asymptomatic or past HBV infection alone was 20.7% (n = 153), of markers for past or chronic HCV infection alone was 7.4% (n = 55), and of markers for both HBV and HCV was 6.9% (n = 51). Of the 204 individuals positive for anti-HBV core antibody, 12 (5.9%) were also positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. Two individuals (0.3%) had a serologic market suggestive of an active syphilitic infection. No subject was found to be HIV-seropositive. History of prior injections and number of injections were associated with infection with HCV. Primary residence in the Nile delta and valley areas where schistosomiasis is highly endemic, was also a statistically significant risk factor for HCV, but not HBV infection.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: el-Sayed
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gomatos
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Rodier
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Wierzba
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darwish
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khashaba
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Arthur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies