title: Risk factors for hepatitis C virus transmission obscure in nigerian patients.
abstract: Aim. To determine the prevalence of anti-HCV and risk factors associated with HCV infection in Nigerians. Materials and Method. Patients attending a general outpatient clinic were administered a structured questionnaire on the risk factors for HCV infection. They were also tested for anti-HCV using a third generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Result. The seroprevalence of anti-HCV was 4.7%. Among the risk factors evaluated, none was found to be significantly associated with anti-HCV seropositivity. Conclusion. The risk factors associated with HCV infection in Nigerian patients are obscure. This warrants further studies on the epidemiology of this important cause of liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla, PMB 01129 Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olive
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Obienu
authors.forename: Sylvester
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nwokediuko
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malu
authors.forename: Olufunmilayo A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Lesi