Trends in hepatitis C infection among hemodialysis patients in Senegal: results of a decade of prevention.
Chronic kidney disease is an emerging public health issue in Africa. At end-stage renal disease (ESRD), patients need hemodialysis (HD), which may expose them to blood transmitted infections, such as the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest HCV prevalence in the world, but data on HD patients is scarce and shows an exceptionally high rate in Senegal. To assess the efficacy of preventive measures in reducing HCV infection among dialysis patients, we retrospectively conducted a cross-sectional study in three Senegalese HD centers, including all HD patients who performed HCV serology between 1 st and 31 st August 2011. The demographical, clinical, and biological data were collected for each patient. We included 106 patients with a mean age of 43.4±15.8 years (range from 18 to 80 years), with 52.8% males. HD vintage was 60.5±15 months (range from six to 206 months). The main causes of kidney disease included nephrosclerosis (36%) and diabetes (24%). The prevalence of HCV was 5.6%, with one patient co-infected with the hepatitis B virus. After adjusting for age and sex, HD vintage was the only risk factor for HCV infection, while nutritional status and the number of blood transfusions did not significantly correlate with HCV infection. We conclude that during the past decade, the prevalence of HCV infection in HD patients living in Senegal has declined considerably, mainly because of improved transfusion measures and better clinical practice in the HD centers. Such efforts should be maintained and reinforced to reduce the seroprevalence of HCV infection.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University Gaston Berger, Saint-Louis, Senegal.
Sidy Mohamed
SM
Seck
Mohamed
M
Dahaba
Serigne
S
Gueye
Elhadj Fary
EF
Ka
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000639:trends; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000639:trends; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000639:trends; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012675:Senegal / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult