Publication: Epidemiological Characteristics of Hepatitis C Patients Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital
Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nepal Health Research Council
Abstract
Background: Hepatitis C infection is a major public health concern in Nepal. Epidemiological information on hepatitis C virus along with the status of co-infection with hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus is essential to controlling the hepatitis C burden. The objective of this study was to determine the sero-prevalence of hepatitis C virus infections, proportions of co-infections with human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus, and identify the demographic characters, and routes of transmission.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to February 2024 at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. The serological tests were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays from 25133 patients’ serum in four years.
Results: The sero-prevalence of hepatitis C virus -infected patients was 0.8% (211/25133). Among them, 6.6% (14/211) were co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus and 1.4% (3/211) with hepatitis B virus. Among 211 hepatitis C virus patients, 174 (82.5%) were male, 156 (73.9%) were young aged 15–47 years with various professions, 167 (79.1%) were literate, and almost one-third of the patients (33.2%, 70/211) were regular alcoholics. Needle sharing among intravenous drug users (45.5%, 96/211) and sexual intercourse (28%, 59/211) were the most common modes of transmission.
Conclusions: Although the prevalence of hepatitis C infections is less than 1%, it is more common among young male intravenous drug users. Awareness of the spread of hepatitis C infections among this population needs to be emphasized to control hepatitis C in Nepal.
Keywords: characters; co-infection; hepatitis C, sero-prevalence.
Description
Hari Prasad Kattel
Central Department of Microbiology, Kathmandu, Nepal
Sangita Sharma
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
Kristian Alfsnes
Norwgian Institute of Public Health, Norway
Rahul Pathak
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital
Komal Raj Rijal
Central Department of Microbiology, Kathmandu, Nepal
Prakash Ghimire
Central Department of Microbiology, Kathmandu, Nepal
Ashild K Andreassen
Norwgian Institute of Public Health, Norway
Megha Raj Banjara
Central Department of Microbiology, Kathmandu, Nepal