PREVALENCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-ANTIBODIES IN THE GENERAL-POPULATION AND IN SELECTED GROUPS OF PATIENTS IN DELHI

We report on the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in healthy individu als and patient groups with different liver diseases. The healthy popu lation comprising 234 voluntary blood donors and 65 pregnant women wit h no history of liver diseases, had a per cent positivity of 1.5 anti- HCV in each group. The patients groups comprising 32 with acute viral hapatitis, 110 with fulminant hepatic failure, 65 with subacute hepati c failure, 33 with chronic active hepatitis, 45 with cirrhosis and 10 with hepatocellular carcinoma, had anti-HCV per cent positivity of 12. 5, 43.6, 41.5, 48.5, 8.8 and 0 respectively. Anti-HCV was also tested in sera from 9 patients who had developed post-transfusion hepatitis a nd was recorded in 2 (22.2%) within one year of transfusion.