THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI, HEPATITIS-B AND HEPATITIS-C INFECTION IN EGYPT

There appears to be no epidemiological association between Schistosoma mansoni infection, the intensity of S. mansoni infection or S. manson i infection complicated by schistosome hepatic fibrosis and the presen ce of antibody to hepatitis B virus core antigen (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) o r antibody to both agents. This was the main conclusion of a populatio n-based study of an entire village in the northern Egyptian Nile Delta . All 1850 villagers were invited to participate and serological, para sitological and ultrasound examinations were completed on a high propo rtion of the total population (68% provided sera and higher percentage s provided stool specimens and were subjected to ultrasound examinatio ns). Testing with dual Kato slides indicated a high prevalence of S. m ansoni infection in the village (49.1%), typical of the area. Hepatiti s B virus (HBV) markers (presence of either anti-HBc and/or HBsAg) and anti-HCV were also found to be prevalent, present in 24% and 15.9% of the villagers, respectively. The age-adjusted odds ratios (OR) for in fection with S. mansoni and HBV [1.13; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0. 87-1.48], HBsAg (1.11; CI=0.47-2.58), or anti-HCV (1.02; CI=0.7-1.37) were not significantly greater than unity. Similarly low and non-signi ficant OR estimates were observed with those positive for both HBV and anti-HCV. No other outcome measures of S. mansoni infection (i.e. int ensity of infection or ultrasonographically-determined schistosomal he patic fibrosis) were found to be associated with HBV, HBsAg or anti-HC V. This study confirms the lack of association of S. mansoni and HBV m arkers seen in previous studies and further extends this lack of assoc iation to anti-HCV.