title: Hepatitis C virus infection in patients and family members attending two primary care clinics in Puebla, Mexico.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Approximately 180 million persons (~2.8%) globally are estimated to be infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV prevalence in Mexico has been estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.4%. The aim of present work was to determine the prevalence of HCV infection in patients and family members attending two primary care clinics in Puebla, Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients and their accompanying family members in two clinics were invited to participate in this study between May and September 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10,214 persons were included in the study; 120 (1.17%) persons were anti-HCV reactive. Of the reactive subjects, detection of viral RNA was determined in 114 subjects and 36 were positive (31%). The more frequent risk factors were having a family history of cirrhosis (33.1%) and having a blood transfusion prior to 1995 (29%). After a multiple logistic regression analysis only transfusion prior to 1995 resulted significant to HCV transmission (p = 0.004). The overall detected HCV genotypes were as follows: 1a (29%), 1b (48.5%), 2/2b (12.8%), and 3a (6.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HCV prevalence in this population is in agreement with previous studies in other regions of Mexico.
authors.affiliation: Coordinación Delegacional de Investigación en Salud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Colombo
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Gastroenterología, Hospital de Especialidades, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Centro Médico Nacional General de División Manuel Ávila Camacho, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meléndez-Mena
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sedeño-Monge
authors.affiliation: Dirección, Unidad de Medicina Familiar Núm. 55, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Camacho-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Coordinación Clínica de Educación e Investigación, Unidad de Medicina Familiar Núm. 6, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vázquez-Cruz
authors.affiliation: División de Epidemiología, Hospital de Especialidades, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Centro Médico Nacional General de División Manuel Ávila Camacho, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Eduardo R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Morales-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Virología, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Metepec, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sosa-Jurado
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Virología, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Metepec, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Márquez-Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Virología, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Metepec, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santos-López
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology; D013653:Tattooing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral