title: Hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV infection among Egyptian prisoners: seroprevalence, risk factors and related chronic liver diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prisons in Egypt do not currently screen for blood-borne viruses, and there are no statistics concerning the prevalence of hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus or human immunodeficiency virus among prisoners. This study was performed to detect the prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis C, hepatitis B core and human immunodeficiency virus among Egyptian prisoners.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in an Egyptian prison. The prisoners voluntarily completed a risk factor questionnaire and provided blood specimens for testing for antibodies against hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus core antigen and human immunodeficiency virus. Positive results were confirmed by the detecting HCV RNA via polymerase chain reaction. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the factors that were independently associated with positive HCV serology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred resident prisoners were screened. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies was 15.8% (79/500), and viremia was confirmed by PCR in 77.2% (61/79) of the antibody-positive prisoners. The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen was 9.8% (49/500), and 1.2% (6/500) of prisoners were dually infected with HBV and HCV. Antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus were not detected in any of the prisoners. The best predictor for hepatitis C and hepatitis B infection was a history of intravenous drug use (P<0.011 for HBV and P<0.001 for HCV), a period of >10 years spent in prison (P<0.052 for HBV and P<0.021 for HCV) and shared toiletries (P<0.059 for HBV and P<0.002 for HCV).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus infections constitute an important public health problem in prisons. Public health strategies to prevent morbidity and mortality from these infections should include hepatitis B vaccination, HCV testing, counseling and medical management of infected prisoners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine, Minia University, Egypt. halaibrahem@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hala I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Zienab M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Ehab M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Abd-Elreheem
authors.forename: Wael M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Abd-ElGhany
authors.forename: Mohamed S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Emad A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Abd Elnaeem
authors.forename: Amany E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Seedhom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011329:Prisoners; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral