title: Prevalence, genotypes and factors associated with HCV infection among prisoners in Northeastern Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence and its genotypes, and to identify the factors associated with HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study, conducted in two prisons (one male and one female) in the State of Sergipe, Brazil, comprised 422 subjects. All of the prisoners underwent a rapid test for the detection of HCV antibodies. Patients with a positive result were tested for anti-HCV by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and for HCV RNA by qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The virus genotype was defined in every serum sample that presented positive for PCR-HCV. In order to determine the factors independently associated with positive serology for HCV, multivariate logistic regression was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCV seroprevalence was 3.1%. Of the 13 subjects with positive anti-HCV, 11 had viremia confirmed by PCR. Of these, 90.9% had genotype 1. A total of 43 (10.2%) were injecting drug users, and HCV seroprevalence in this subgroup was 20.6%. The variable most strongly associated with positive serology for HCV was use of injecting drugs [odds ratio (OR), 23.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 6.0-90.8]. Age over 30 years (OR, 5.5; 95%CI, 1.1-29.2), history of syphilis (OR, 9.8; 95%CI, 1.7-55.2) and history of household contact with HCV positive individual (OR, 14.1; 95%CI, 2.3-85.4) were also independently associated with HCV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the HCV transmissions result from parenteral exposure. However, there is evidence to suggest a role for sex and household contact with an infected subject in virus transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Sergipe 49060-100, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Fernandes de Oliveira
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Nathalie Oliveira
authors.initials: NO
authors.lastname: de Santana
authors.forename: Alex Vianey Callado
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Franca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners; D012372:ROC Curve; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult