30 Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among a population tested at king abdulaziz medical city, jeddah, in 2018

Abstract

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the three major bloodborne infections. HCV infection has a devastating outcome, yet is a curable disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) targets elimination of the disease by 2030. This target cannot be achieved without screening and case detection. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the prevalence of HCV infection among people tested at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah (KAMC-J), during 2018. Methods Results of the HCV antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests conducted during 2018 at KAMC-J were obtained from the Electronic Medical System (BestCare). The HCV RNA test results were reviewed through the HCV surveillance database available in the Infection Prevention and Control Department. Data were also collected on demographic variables (age, sex, and nationality). Statistical analysis was done with IBM SPSS version 24. Results A total of 5425 HCV antibody tests were performed in 2018. More than half of the samples were for females (54.4%, n=2953). The overall prevalence of positive HCV antibodies among the tested population was 1.5% (n=82). Reactive HCV antibodies were higher among females (1.6%, n=46) than males (1.5%, n=36). The prevalence significantly increased with age from 0.3% (n=6) among people younger than 25 years up to 6.2% (n=42) among those older than 70 years. HCV positive antibody prevalence was significantly higher among Saudi (1.8%, n=79) than non-Saudi (0.3%, n=3) populations. Of the 82 cases with positive HCV antibodies, 49 (59.8%) cases were newly diagnosed, of which 30.6% (n=15) had reactive HCV RNA. Only two people were HCV/HBV co-infected. Conclusion This study demonstrates the importance of HCV screening of high-risk populations, including military personnel, and the need for early intervention in order to achieve the WHO target of eliminating the disease by 2030.