Article
Seroprevalence and spatial distribution of hepatitis C virus in Bahia, Brazil
Registro en:
PEREIRA, Felicidade Mota et al. Seroprevalence and spatial distribution of hepatitis C virus in Bahia, Brazil. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH Journal), p. 1-8, 23 Aug. 2021.
0002-9637
10.4269/ajtmh.20-1615
1476-1645
Autor
Pereira, Felicidade Mota
Santos, Fred Luciano Neves
Chagas, Maria da Conceição Almeida
Carreiro, Roberto Perez
Silva, Luciano Kalabric
Castro Filho, Bernardo Galvão
Grassi, Maria Fernanda Rios
Resumen
Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement-Brazil (CAPES) (finance code 001) National Foundation for the Development of Private Higher Education (FUNADESP) grants 9600140 and 9600141 In Salvador, which is the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, it has been estimated that 1.5% of the general population is infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV); however, the circulation of HCV throughout the state remains unknown. The present retrospective study aimed to determine anti-HCV seroprevalence and describe the geographic distribution of hepatitis C in Bahia. Data from HCV serological tests submitted to the Bahia Central Laboratory of Public Health between 2004 and 2013 were analyzed. Serology for HCV was performed using the AxSYM anti-HCV enzymatic microparticle immunoassay and chemiluminescence immunoassay. A subgroup of samples with detectable HCV-RNA was genotyped using the linear array hepatitis C virus genotyping assay. A total of 247,837 samples were analyzed. The median age of the studied population was 31 years (interquartile range, 25–44 years), and the female:male ratio was 3.9:1. The global seroprevalence of HCV in Bahia was estimated to be 1.3% (3,230/247,837), corresponding to an infection rate of 21.2/100,000 inhabitants. The seroprevalence of HCV was higher among males and increased with age. The presence of anti-HCV antibodies was detected throughout all mesoregions of Bahia, and the municipality with the highest infection rate was Ipiau (112.04 cases/100,000 inhabitants). Genotypes 1 and 3 were found to be the most prevalent, followed by genotypes 2, 4, and 5. Our results provide evidence of the widespread distribution of previous HCV infection throughout the state of Bahia.