Incidence of hepatitis C infection in a hepatitis C endemic township in southern Taiwan.
To realize the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in an HCV endemic township, Tzukuan, in Taiwan, we conducted a follow-up community-based survey. A total of 173 adults, 82 males and 91 females, with mean age of 55.5 +/- 9.9 years received initial and follow-up anti-HCV tests with one-year interval. One (1.2%, 95% CI: 0%-5.5%) of 84 anti-HCV-positive subjects was negative-seroconversion, and 4 (4.5%, 95% CI: 0.2%-8.8%) of 89 anti-HCV-negative subjects were positive-seroconversion. The results indicated that hepatitis C might be still spreading in the HCV-endemic area now.
Lu
S N
SN
Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Chue
P Y
PY
Chen
I L
IL
Wang
J H
JH
Huang
J F
JF
Peng
C F
CF
Shih
C H
CH
Chang
W Y
WY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology