Non-conventional
transmission of
hepatitis C: a true
possibility ignored.
Hyder Q,
…Burhan-ul-Haq
M, Rashid R, Qazi S,
Mehmood S,
Hadi SF
»
«
(2009)
Non-conventional
transmission of
hepatitis C: a true
possibility ignored.
J Pak Med Assoc
(PubMed:
19579727)
… We examined the
possibility of
non-conventional
transmission of HCV
by person-to-person
contact. …
Show full abstract
OBJECTIVE:
The exact mode of
hepatitis C virus
(HCV) transfer
remains elusive in a
vast majority of
cases. We examined
the possibility of
non-conventional
transmission of HCV
by person-to-person
contact.
METHOD:
A questionnaire
based, prospective
study was conducted
at Pakistan
Institute of Medical
Sciences (PIMS) from
July-October, 2006.
Patients with
compensated chronic
hepatitis B (CHB)
&/or C (CHC) were
registered for 6
month interferon (IFN)
therapy. All
candidates furnished
information about
age, gender and mode
of transmission. The
unanswered queries
were interpreted as
"missing data".
After omission of
cases with hepatitis
B virus (HBV)
infection alone, the
remaining persons
included in the
present study were
placed in:
Group-A:
Multifactorial
transfer involving
conventional (blood
borne) and
non-conventional
modes;
Group-B:
Unifactorial
transfer by
non-conventional
routes only;
Group-C: No
identifiable risk
factor.
Unlike conventional
routes, the
non-conventional
modes represented
likelihood of CHB
&/or CHC by exposure
to household
contacts, to persons
with hepatic
cirrhosis and during
traveling.
RESULTS:
Initially, 879
patients (mean age:
35.52 +/- 9.1 years)
were registered.
After exclusion of
25 subjects with HBV
infection only, the
remaining 854 were
included. Of 854
cases, 830 (97.18%)
were infected with
HCV and 24 (2.81%)
had co-infection
with HBV & HCV.
According to the
mode(s) of
transmission,
Identified Cases:
Group-A: 515
(60.30%);
Group-B: 136
(15.92%)
Group-C: 203
(23.77%)
Dental
treatment: 278
(32.55%) was the
commonest
conventional risk
factor in Group-A.
The non-conventional
transfer of HCV in
Group-A was mainly
suggested by
household contact:
222 (25.99%).
Groups-A and -B
combined, the sum of
any non-conventional
risk factor was
comparable with and
even higher than the
leading
haematogenous routes
in Group-A.
Groups-B and -C
combined, HCV
infection in 339
patients (39.69%)
was apparently
acquired by
non-conventional
modes, most probably
by person-to-person
interaction.
CONCLUSION:
Non-conventional
transmission of HCV
is a genuine
possibility which is
currently
underestimated.
