Community-based seroepidemiological survey of HCV infection in Catalonia, Spain

The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and the associated risk factors i n a representative sample of the population of Catalonia, Spain. Serum samp les from 2,142 subjects aged between 5 and 70 years, selected at random fro m urban and rural habitats, were studied. Multiple logistic regression anal ysis was carried out to determine variables associated independently with t he presence of HCV antibodies. The age and gender standardized prevalence o f anti-HCV was 2.5% (95% confidence interval, 1.8-3.2). Prevalence increase d significantly with age (P < 0.001), but no other sociodemographic variabl es were associated with HCV infection. Tattoos (OR: 6.2). blood transfusion s (OR: 5.0) intravenous drug use (OR: 4.9) and antecedents of hospitalizati on (OR: 2.3) were variables associated independently with infection. HCV in fection affects mainly elderly people in Spain and spares children and adol escents. This suggests that major exposure to HCV may have occurred many ye ars ago, when infection was more widespread than in recent years. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.