Seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus specific antibodies among Iraqi children with thalassaemia.
The seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) specific antibodies and HCV genotypes distribution were studied among 559 Iraqi children with thalassaemia in receipt of repeated blood transfusions. HCV-specific antibodies were detected in 376 (67.3%) serum samples using third-generation enzyme immunoassay and confirmatory immunoblot assays. Of 78 randomly selected sera, 48 (61.5%) were HCV-RNA positive. HCV genotypes 1a, 1b, 4 and mixed 1b and 4 were demonstrated in 13 (27.1%), 11 (22.9%), 17 (35.4%) and 7 (14.6%) sera respectively. Strict measures for the controlling the spread of HCV are needed by introducing advanced techniques for blood donor screening.
Al-Kubaisy
W A
WA
Department of Community Medicine, Al-Nahrain University College of Medicine, Baghdad, Iraq. waqar_abd@yahoo.co.uk
Al-Naib
K T
KT
Habib
M
M
D001782:Blood Donors; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D046148:Donor Selection; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017053:Infection Control; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral