Ramarokoto Charles E, Rakotomanana Fanjasoa, Ratsitorahina Maherisoa, Raharimanga Vaomalala, Razafindratsimandresy Richter, Randremanana Rindra, Rakoto-Andrianarivelo Mala, Rousset Dominique, Andrianaja Voahangy, Richard Vincent, Soares Jean-Louis, Rabarijaona Leon P
Unité d'Epidémiologie, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar.
BMC Infect Dis. 2008 Feb 29;8:25. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-8-25.
The risk factors for the transmission of HCV vary substantially between countries and geographic regions. The overall prevalence in south and east Africa region has been estimated to be 1.6% but limited information about the epidemiology of HCV infection in Madagascar is available
A cross-sectional survey for hepatitis C antibodies was conducted in 2,169 subjects of the general population of Antananarivo to determine seroprevalence of hepatitis C and associated risk factors.
The overall seroprevalence was 1.2% (25/2,169). The prevalence did not differ significantly according to gender but it increased with age (Chi2 tendency test, p < 10-5). The variable history of hospitalization, previous therapeutic injections, dental treatment, intravenous drug use, and abnormal ALT and AST were statistically significantly related with the presence of HCV antibodies. No relationship with past history of blood transfusion was observed.
HCV prevalence in Madagascar seems to be similar to that in most other east African countries. Age appears to be an important risk factor. Iatrogenic causes of HCV transmission need to be further evaluated because all HCV cases had a history of receiving therapeutic injections and data suggested a cumulative effect in relation with therapeutic injections.
丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）传播的风险因素在不同国家和地理区域之间存在很大差异。据估计，非洲南部和东部地区的总体患病率为1.6%，但关于马达加斯加丙型肝炎病毒感染流行病学的信息有限。
对塔那那利佛普通人群的2169名受试者进行了丙型肝炎抗体横断面调查，以确定丙型肝炎的血清流行率及相关风险因素。
总体血清流行率为1.2%（25/2169）。患病率在性别上无显著差异，但随年龄增长而增加（卡方趋势检验，p<10-5）。住院史、既往治疗性注射、牙科治疗、静脉吸毒以及丙氨酸转氨酶（ALT）和天冬氨酸转氨酶（AST）异常等变量与HCV抗体的存在在统计学上显著相关。未观察到与既往输血史的关系。
马达加斯加的HCV患病率似乎与大多数其他东非国家相似。年龄似乎是一个重要的风险因素。由于所有HCV病例都有接受治疗性注射的历史，且数据表明与治疗性注射存在累积效应，因此需要进一步评估HCV传播的医源性原因。
