Surveillance of acute hepatitis C in Cairo, Egypt.
Surveillance of acute hepatitis has been set up in two fever hospitals in Cairo to diagnose acute hepatitis C. Patients were categorized as definite acute hepatitis C with positive hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and without anti-HCV antibody, or probable acute hepatitis C with positive HCV RNA, positive anti-HCV antibody, alanine aminotransferase >/=4 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), and high risk parenteral exposure in the 1--3 months prior to the beginning of symptoms. From May to November 2002, 315 patients were recruited in the study. Of these, 115 (36.5%) had acute hepatitis A, 89 (28.3%) had acute hepatitis B, and 111 (35.2%) had non-A non-B acute hepatitis. Of the total with complete data (n=309), 12 (3.9%, 95% CI=2.0%-6.7%) had definite acute hepatitis C, and 11 (3.6%, 95% CI=1.8%-6.3%) had probable acute hepatitis C. In patients with definite acute hepatitis C, dental exposure (n=5) and intravenous drug use (n=2), were the only high risk procedures found in the 6 months prior to diagnosis. Five patients had no identifiable parenteral exposure. In conclusion, results from this study suggest that acute hepatitis C can be diagnosed by surveillance of acute hepatitis in hospital settings in Cairo and that minor community exposures contribute substantially to local HCV transmission.
El Gaafary
Maha M
MM
Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Rekacewicz
Claire
C
Abdel-Rahman
Amira Gamal
AG
Allam
Mohamed Farouk
MF
El Hosseiny
Mostafa
M
Hamid
Mohamed Abdel
MA
Colombani
Françoise
F
Sultan
Yehia
Y
El-Aidy
Saeed
S
Fontanet
Arnaud
A
Mohamed
Mostafa Kamal
MK
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D003729:Dental Care; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase