1. Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus among patients with leprosy in several African countries and the Yemen
- Author
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S. Ranger, L. Aussel, A. Sangare, Y. Al Qubati, A. Itoua-N'Gaporo, J. Millan, Souleymane Mboup, D. Frommel, François Denis, R. T. Teckle-Haimanot, and P. Martin
- Subjects
Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Yemen ,Hepatitis C virus ,Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ,Hepacivirus ,medicine.disease_cause ,Serology ,Immunoenzyme Techniques ,Flaviviridae ,Virology ,Leprosy ,Epidemiology ,medicine ,Prevalence ,Seroprevalence ,Humans ,Hepatitis Antibodies ,biology ,business.industry ,Age Factors ,Hepatitis C ,Hepatitis C Antibodies ,Middle Aged ,biology.organism_classification ,medicine.disease ,Infectious Diseases ,Africa ,Viral disease ,business - Abstract
The prevalence of anti-HCV was determined in 1,309 leprosy patients and a control group of 1,469 subjects from 6 sub-Saharan African countries and the Yemen. Sera found positive by an initial second generation ELISA were subjected to 3 additional confirmatory tests. The anti-HCV prevalence in leprosy patients (7.1%) was significantly higher than in the control group (2.6%). HCV seroprevalence increased with age in both the control and leprosy groups. No statistically significant difference could be found between anti-HCV prevalence and the several clinical forms of leprosy among patients. The results of this study indicate a high degree of exposure or chronic carriage of hepatitis C among leprosy patients. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
- Published
- 1994