title: Hepatitis C virus infection among multi-transfused patients and personnel in haemodialysis units in central Islamic Republic of Iran.
abstract: A cross-sectional study was made of the prevalence of HCV and associated risk factors in 382 multi-transfused patients and haemodialysis staff in Yadz province in 2006. Of those tested for anti-HCV antibodies, 50.6% of patients with inherited bleeding disorders, 11.8% with thalassaemia and 5.0% undergoing haemodialysis were seropositive. First transfusion before 1996 (when blood donor screening started) was the common risk factor associated with HCV infection. Only 1/52 haemodialysis staff members was HCV infected (an intravenous drug user). Infection control measures were poor in all centres. In patients with inherited bleeding disorders genotype 1 (65.0%) was the predominant followed by genotype 3 (35.0%). The results provide evidence that blood donor screening and use of virus-inactivated factor concentrates have lowered the risk of HCV infection among multi-transfused patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. ksamimirad@sina.tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Samimi-Rad
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mobeini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Asgari
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Tahaei
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Salari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D006436:Hemodialysis Units, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult