title: Changing prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among teenagers in an endemic area in Taiwan.
abstract: Tzukuan Township in Taiwan has been reported to be an endemic area for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection both in adults and adolescents. The maritime part of the township carries a higher prevalence than the non-maritime part and, as a consequence, several public education strategies have been introduced during the past decade. The current follow-up study aimed to clarify the changing prevalence of HCV infection among teenagers in the endemic maritime part of Tzukuan. In addition to viral hepatitis markers and biochemical profiles, we compared the epidemiological characteristics of 887 and 394 teenagers (aged 13-16 years) from the maritime part enrolled in 1995 and 2005, respectively. Compared with the results of surveillance in 1995, the prevalence of anti-HCV seropositivity (1.0% vs. 2.8%; P=0.045) and HCV RNA (0.5% vs. 2.3%; P=0.026) had decreased significantly by 2005. Transfusions and anti-HCV-positive families were the main risk factors amongst the 25 anti-HCV-positive teenagers in 1995, and became non-significant amongst the four anti-HCV-positive teenagers in 2005. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of HCV infection has significantly decreased after one decade of intervention among the teenage population in this endemic area.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jee-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chia-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Ming-Lung
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Sheng-Nan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ming-Yen
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Li-Po
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Zu-Yau
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shinn-Cherng
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ming-Yuh
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Liang-Yen
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral