Incidence and risk factors for community-acquired hepatitis C infection from birth to 5 years of age in rural Egyptian children.
A prospective study in three Egyptian villages (A, B and C) having a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection examined incidence of community-acquired HCV infection in children; 2852 uninfected infants were prospectively followed from birth for up to 5.5 years. Fifteen seroconverted for either HCV antibodies and/or HCV-RNA (incidence of 0.53%). Ten had both anti-HCV and HCV-RNA; four had only anti-HCV; and one had HCV-RNA in the absence of antibody. The incidence rate at all ages was 2.7/1000 person-years (PY). It was 3.8/1000 PY during infancy and 2.0/1000 PY for the 1-5-years age group. Hospitalization and low birth weight increased the risk of infection; while living in village B, the family having a higher socioeconomic status, and advanced maternal education were protective. Six of eight HCV-infected infants reported iatrogenic exposures (e.g. hospitalization, therapeutic injections, ear piercing) prior to infection whereas only 2/7 children older than 1 year reported these exposures. Having an HCV-positive mother was the only other reported risk in two of these older children. The virus cleared in six (40%) children by the end of follow-up. Health education targeting iatrogenic exposures and focusing on risk factors could reduce HCV infection in children in high-risk populations.
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Doa'a A
DA
Saleh
Fatma M
FM
Shebl
Samer S
SS
El-Kamary
Laurence S
LS
Magder
Alif
A
Allam
Mohamed
M
Abdel-Hamid
Nabiel
N
Mikhail
Mohamed
M
Hashem
Soraya
S
Sharaf
Sonia K
SK
Stoszek
G Thomas
GT
Strickland
D046288:Body Piercing / Q000009:adverse effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin