Prevalence of HCV and HIV/HCV co-infection among volunteer blood donors and VCT clients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of HCV infection and HCV/HIV co-infection among voluntary blood donors at the National Blood Transfusion Centre and clients at the Kenyatta National Hospital HIV-Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre.


METHODS
A prospective cross-sectional descriptive study.


METHODS
Kenyatta National Hospital, a tertiary referral and teaching hospital and the National Blood Transfusion Services Centre, Nairobi.


METHODS
Volunteer blood donors and VCT attendants.


RESULTS
The prevalence of HCV/HIV co-infection among 6154 blood donors in the NBTSC was very low, at 0.02. The HIV prevalence among the 353 KNH HIV-VCT clients was 9.3%, none of the clients tested positive for HCV. The incidence of risk factors in the persons with HCV and/or HIV infection(s) was low.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of HCV infection among pre-screened volunteer blood donors was low. However the current practice of screening all donated blood for HCV remains indispensable to prevent its transmission to blood recipients.
Karuru
J W
JW
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676, Nairobi, Kenya.
Lule
G N
GN
Joshi
M
M
Anzala
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001782:Blood Donors; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution