title: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and its related risk factors among the rural population of fars province, southern iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major blood-borne infection with silent epidemic, major global public health problem and diverse prevalence worldwide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HCV infection and related risk factors in the general population of two villages, Farmashkan and Akbarabad, of the Kavar City in Fars Province, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 34-month cross-sectional study was performed on all people of the villages aged ≥ 7 years from July 2007 to April 2010. Demographic information and history of HCV-related risk factors were extracted from their medical records. For each participant, the serum anti-HCV IgG was assessed by the commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6095 participants (36.4% male and 65.6% female) with the mean age of 92 (7-95) and mean ± SD of 34.6 ± 17.3 years were included in this study. Fifteen persons (0.24%) were detected as HCV-positive and the highest prevalence was seen in age ≤ 12 years old (1%). A significant association was only detected between blood transfusion and HCV infection; therefore, those persons with history of blood transfusion had 15-fold higher risk for HCV seropositivity (odds ratio 15.54, 95% CI = 4.89-49.41).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our reported rate of HCV seropositivity is similar to the previous Iranian reports. However, future evaluations should be focused on the Polymerase Chain Reaction method for the detection of HCV and determining and evaluating of other related risk factors. Moreover, more attention should be paid to blood donors as a reservoir population of HCV.
authors: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors: Mohammad Reza
authors: MR
authors: Fattahi
authors: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors: Alireza
authors: A
authors: Safarpour
authors: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors: Masood
authors: M
authors: Sepehrimanesh
authors: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors: Seyed Mohammad Kazem
authors: SM
authors: Hosseini Asl
authors: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
authors: Faezeh
authors: F
authors: Mohamaddoust
keywords: Blood Transfusion; ELISA; HCV; Iran; Rural Population