PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION IN THE HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS OF PATIENTS WITH HCV-RELATED CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE

It is still controversial whether the familial environment plays a rol e in the diffusion of HCV infection. The aim of this study was to eval uate the prevalence of anti-HCV positivity in the household contacts o f patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis. Nearly all the househol d contacts of 113 subjects with anti-HCV+ chronic hepatitis (100/113 s pouses and 260/290 children) were investigated. Anti-HCV was determine d by means of ELISA II and was confirmed by RIBA II. Anti-HCV positivi ty was found in 27% of the spouses and in 1.9% of the children. Preval ence of anti-HCV positivity in spouses correlated positively with the duration df the marital status. Seventeen/32 (53.1%) of anti-HCV-posit ive subjects were found to have chronic hepatitis. This study indicate s that intrafamilial diffusion of HCV infection is mostly accounted fo r by horizontal, in particular spouse to spouse, transmission and that spouse to spouse transmission of HCV infection correlates positively with the duration of marital status.