الفهرس 
Material and methodsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
SUl11mmy, 160
Summary
Viral hepatitis is still an important public health problem throughout
the world. Hepatitis Band C infection are the most important types
particularly as they may progress to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and
pnmary liver cancer. The present work aims to study epidemiological
aspects of hepatitis Band C in adults to define the factors that
contribute . to the prevalence of this problem in our community.
The subjects of this study were 300 apparently healthy adults (152
females and 148 males) collected from attendants of primary health care
centers in Benha city in the period from July, 1994 to August, 1995. Their
ages ranged from 18-65 years (mean 33.8 ± 10.8). An interview
questionnaire was designed for collection of personal, social and medical
characteristics of the selected group, A blood sample was obtained from
every individual for serological diagnosis using ELISA technique (2nd
generation).
This work revealed the following results:
- The prevalence of HBs Ag, HBs Ab and HCV Ab among the studied
group were 5.7%, 28.7% and 27% respectively, with a significant
difference between males and females regarding the prevalence ofHCV
Ab (35.8%, 18.4% respectively) (P<O.OOI).
.. The highest prevalence of positive HBs Ag subjects was detected among
the age group 45 years and more (8.5%). Also, the percentage of HCV
Summary. lGl
Gamer state significantly increased with age (from 8.3% for age group
ess 25 years to 40.4% for age group 45 years and more) (P<O.OOI).
.. Higher percentages of HBs Ag and HCY Ab were detected in rural
areas (7.1%, 31% respectively) than urban ones (4.3%, 22.8%
respectively) with statistically insignificant difference .
.. The prevalence of HBs Ag and HCY Ab were higher among married
:62%, 30.3% respectively) than single (3.6%,12.5% respectively) The
difference was statistically significant regarding HCY infection (P<0.05).
- Socioeconomic variables were related to the prevalence of HBY
infection as the percentage of positive HBs Ag cases was significantly
higher among non educated (9.3%) than educated (3.6%) individuals
(P<0.05). Also, it was higher among those living in houses with the
highest crowding index (8.6%). While, there was no significant relation
between the previous factors and the prevalence of positive HCY Ab.
- An interesting finding in this study was the lower percentages of carrier
state of HBY and HCY infections among medical and paramedical
personnel (2.4%, 26.2% respectively) than those of other occupations
(6.2%, 27.1% respectively) which indicated that health care workers
(HCW) were following the universal precautions to avoid infection by
blood bom pathogens. However, no significant relation was found in the
prevalence of HBs Ag and HCY Ab among the studied group regarding
occupation.
SUl11mGlY, 162
- Bilharziasis and diabetes are proved in this study to be risk factors for
hepatitis Band C infections. HBs Ag seropositivity was insignificantly
higher among bilharzial (6.2%) and diabetic (8.6%) patients than non
bilharzial (5.4%) and non diabetic (5.3%) cases. However, significantly
higher percentages of positive HCY Ab were found among bilharzial
(44.4%) and diabetic (51.4%) patients than non bilharzial (18.7%) and
non diabetic (23.8%) cases. The risk of bilharzia I and diabetic patients to
acquire HCY infection were 3.46 and 3.39 folds respectively that of non
bilharzial and non diabetic cases.
- The study also showed that HCY infection is the most common cause of
viral hepatitis in our community as HCY Ab appears in 50% of those
giving history of previous infection with hepatitis.
- Studying the risk factors which proved to contribute to HBY and HCY
infection, the present study revealed that blood transfusion, ear piercing
and treatment by injection were significantly related to HCY Ab but not
to HBs Ag seropositivity. On the other hand, no significant differences
were detected between HBY or HCY carrier states regarding previous
visit to a dentist, tattooing, exposure to surgical intervention and the
previous family history of hepatitis, although the percentages of positive
HBs Ag and HCY Ab cases were higher among those showed the risk
factors for infection.
- No one of the vaccinated individuals among the studied l:,’l’OUP was found
to be positive for HBs Ag, while 50% of those vaccinated were immuned
I
Summary, 163
compared to 27.6% of the non vaccinated cases, the difference was
Istatistically significant.
from this study, it was concluded that HEY and HCY infection are
lendemic in our community, their occurrence and the development of
Icarrier states are related to interaction between several hosl and
ienvironmental risk factors.
It is recommended to develop a system of epidemiological
surveillance for hepatitis infection on a national scale; prevention of
parenteral transmission especially through screening of blood donors for
HEs Ag and HCY Ab, availability of adequate quantities of sterile
needles and syringes and proper sterilization of surgical and dental
instruments; control of bilharziasis and diabetes and conducting further
studies to investigate the relation between diabetes mellitus and HEY and
HCY infection especially the immunological changes, training of medical
. personnel regarding the universal precautions to avoid infection by blood
borne pathogens; health education of health care workers, high risk group
and the public regarding prevention of hepatitis infection and continuation
and encouragement of vaccination of infants and high risk group against
hepatitis B infection.