Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of HCV Infection Among Children in Lahore, Pakistan

Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of HCV Infection Among Children in Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21649/akemu.v28i4.5291

Keywords:

Prevalence, Children, HCV infection, Viral load, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Pakistan has second highest prevalence of HCV in the world. The epidemiology and burden of HCV infection varies in people of different ages. Objective: Present study was designed to measure the prevalence of HCV among children in selected public and private hospitals of Lahore Methods: Children in the study were screened for anti-HCV test through ELISA (third generation ELISA Kit and Qaigen kit) for detecting the viral load from June 2018 to May 2019. Results: Children in the study were screened for anti-HCV test through ELISA (third generation ELISA Kit and Qaigen kit) for detecting the viral load. The average age of non-reactive and reactive children was 7.28±3.36 and 5.50±3.8 years respectively. Socio-economic status was found associated with anti-HCV. An association was found significant for birthplace, delivery assisted by, and type of milk given to the child. Conclusion: This study shows that the prevalence of HCV is 3.85% in children in lahore city of Pakistan, which is alarming situation for healthcare providers, researchers and policy makers.

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Published

02/07/2023 — Updated on 02/25/2023

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How to Cite

Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of HCV Infection Among Children in Lahore, Pakistan. (2023). Annals of King Edward Medical University, 28(4), 428–432. https://doi.org/10.21649/akemu.v28i4.5291 (Original work published February 7, 2023)

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