CHANGING EPIDEMIOLOGIC PATTERN OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTIONIN ITALIAN CHILDREN

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiologic features of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in children. Study design: All 106 children w ith chronic HCV infection consecutively observed in 3 Italian pediatri c centers between 1991 and 1997 entered the study. Results: Fifteen ch ildren had a history of non-A, non-B hepatitis, and 5 complained of no nspecific symptoms. The 86 remaining patients were free of symptoms an d were recruited after HCV screening for intercurrent diseases, matern al infection, or other putative exposure; 39% (none of 30 children bor n after 1990) had received transfusions, whereas 44%, had a mother wit h NCV infection. Of the 47 infected mothers, 36% were or had been intr avenous drug users, 15% had received transfusions, and 45% had no hist ory of exposure. Conclusions: Children with chronic HCV infection are often free of symptoms, and thus HCV screening for putative risk has g reatly increased the chances of diagnosis. Vertical transmission seems to now be the most common route of infection. Both current and past m aternal intravenous drug abuse are risk factors for pediatric infectio n; however in an area with relatively high prevalence of anti-HCV in t he general population such as Italy a consistent proportion of infecti ous mothers have Ilo risk factors of HCV exposure.