PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS-C VIRUS AND OTHER MARKERS IN JAMAICA

Three population groups, 1500 blood donors, 513 antenatal women repres enting a normal population group and 250 sicklers representing a multi ply transfused group were studied to determine the prevalence of hepat itis C viral (HCV) infection in Jamaica. The relationship to liver enz yme levels, hepatitis B infection, syphilis and HIV infection was also investigated. Sera werw screened by enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) f or anti-HCV C100-3 and subsequently rested by a supplementary second g eneration recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA). lit the blood donors, t he prevalence of anti-HCV was low, 0.3% -0.4%, the same level as that reported by several European countries. In the multiply transfused sic klers, the prevalence was more than seven times higher. No HCV infecti on was detected in the antenatal group. There was little correlation b etween HCV infection and surrogate markers alanine aminotransferase (A LT) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) and no correla tion with sexually transmitted diseases.