Changing prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among teenagers in an endemic area in Taiwan.
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.
Huang
Chung-Feng
CF
Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Huang
Jee-Fu
JF
Dai
Chia-Yen
CY
Yu
Ming-Lung
ML
Lu
Sheng-Nan
SN
Hsieh
Ming-Yen
MY
Lee
Li-Po
LP
Lin
Zu-Yau
ZY
Chen
Shinn-Cherng
SC
Hsieh
Ming-Yuh
MY
Wang
Liang-Yen
LY
Chang
Wen-Yu
WY
Chuang
Wan-Long
WL
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
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral