An Epidemiological Study Of Hepatitis B And C Among Adulits Attending Primary Health Care Centers In Benha City:

Eman Abd El Fattah Al Bitar

SUl11mmy, 160SummaryViral hepatitis is still an important public health problem throughoutthe world. Hepatitis Band C infection are the most important typesparticularly as they may progress to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis andpnmary liver cancer. The present work aims to study epidemiologicalaspects of hepatitis Band C in adults to define the factors thatcontribute . to the prevalence of this problem in our community.The subjects of this study were 300 apparently healthy adults (152females and 148 males) collected from attendants of primary health carecenters in Benha city in the period from July, 1994 to August, 1995. Theirages ranged from 18-65 years (mean 33.8 ± 10.8). An interviewquestionnaire was designed for collection of personal, social and medicalcharacteristics of the selected group, A blood sample was obtained fromevery individual for serological diagnosis using ELISA technique (2ndgeneration).This work revealed the following results:- The prevalence of HBs Ag, HBs Ab and HCV Ab among the studiedgroup were 5.7%, 28.7% and 27% respectively, with a significantdifference between males and females regarding the prevalence ofHCVAb (35.8%, 18.4% respectively) (P