PREVALENCE AND GENOTYPE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION IN PREGNANT-WOMEN AND BLOOD-DONORS IN GHANA

The seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus was evaluated in blood donors and antenatal clinic attenders in Kumasi, Ghana and seropositive subje cts were tested for hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid by the polymera se chain reaction (PCR). The overall seroprevalence among Ghanaians wa s 2.8% but there was a significantly higher prevalence in males (4.6%) than in females (1.0%). No risk factor for infection was identified b y a questionnaire. Among those who showed evidence of active infection with a positive PCR, the most common genotype was type 2 but the subt ype could not be specifically determined; these type 2 hepatitis C vir uses may be indigenous to Africa.