HIGH SEROPREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-A, HEPATITIS-B, HEPATITIS-C, AND HEPATITIS-E VIRUSES IN RESIDENTS IN AN EGYPTIAN VILLAGE IN NILE DELTA - APILOT-STUDY

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is hyperendemic in Egypt, with serop revalence rates of 10-20% among volunteer blood donors, and even highe r rates reported among segments of the general population. We attempte d to confirm the high seroprevalence of HCV and to compare it with the age-specific seroprevalence rates for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and h epatitis E among 155 nonrandomly selected residents of a semiurban vil lage in the Nile River delta. Of the two orally transmitted viruses (H AV and HEV), all 1-3-year-old children had been infected by HAN and th e seroprevalence rate of 100% persisted until age 67. In contrast, HEV infections were not detected until children were 4-9-years old, and t he 57% seroprevalence rate in this age group did not increase apprecia bly in older age groups. Of the two parenterally transmitted viruses, HBV was first detected in 1-3-year-olds, whereas HCV was first detecte d later, in 10-19-year-olds. The seroprevalence rates of both viruses increased progressively with age, peaking in the 40-67-year-old group at 66% for HBV and at 51% For HCV. The number of persons who had only one infection, or no infection at all, was too small to allow meaningf ul statistical analysis of serologically pure groups infected only by HBV, HCV, or HEV. The results of this pilot study revealed extraordina rily high seroprevalence rates of HBV, HCV, and KEV in this village, a nd distinctive age-specific seroprevalence rates suggesting different patterns of transmission.