Blood Donation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Blood Donation, including details on blood types, blood group, leukemia, red cross. | ||||||||
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Viral hepatitis C in Hong Kong.Leung N, Chu C, Tam JS Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, 11 Chuen-On Road, Taipo, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China. leungwyn@ha.org.hk OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can lead to serious liver disease. Its medico-socio-economic burden on society can be immense. This study investigates the epidemiology of HCV infection in Hong Kong. METHODS: Data from the Department of Health, relevant publications from Medline search and data from two acute hospitals were reviewed. RESULTS: The prevalence of anti-HCV among voluntary blood donors is stable, remaining at approximately 0.035-0.099% over the past 10 years, and is higher in the older age group. Among the high-risk groups, the anti-HCV prevalence is as follows: (1) hospital patients 0.8%, (2) intravenous drug users 46.0%, (3) patients infected with HIV 7.9%, (4) children with transfusion-dependent hematologic disease 16.3%, (5) patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis 1.8%, patients on hemodialysis 16.4%, recipients of kidney transplants 6.2% and (6) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma 7.3%. Among blood donors, 58.8% were infected with HCV genotype 1b and 27.0% with genotype 6a. Genotype 6a is particularly common among intravenous drug users. CONCLUSION: Hong Kong has a low prevalence of HCV infection. Patients are mostly infected through transfusion with blood or products prior to the introduction of anti-HCV screening to the blood transfusion service. Illicit drug use constitutes another significant risk. Since 1997, there has been a great increase in population movement between China and Hong Kong which might affect the epidemiology of HCV infection. Published 16 September 2005 in Intervirology, 49(1): 23-7.
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