HCV infection prevalence in a population recruited at health centers in Jordan

Waseem Hamoudi; Sami Adel Sheikh Ali; Mohammad Abdallat; Chris R Estes; Homie A Razavi

doi:10.1016/j.jegh.2013.02.003

HCV infection prevalence in a population recruited at health centers in Jordan

J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2013 Jun;3(2):67-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jegh.2013.02.003. Epub 2013 Mar 19.

Authors

Waseem Hamoudi¹, Sami Adel Sheikh Ali, Mohammad Abdallat, Chris R Estes, Homie A Razavi

Affiliation

¹ Al-Bashir Hospital, Jordan. [email protected]

Abstract

Background: Jordan lacks statistical data regarding prevalence of HCV.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of HCV in selected areas of Jordan (north, middle and south of Jordan).

Methods: A random sample of 700 patients attending health centers was used to determine HCV prevalence. ELISA testing was used to determine HCV-Ab positive cases, which were confirmed by PCR testing.

Results and conclusion: The study concluded that the prevalence of HCV infection in the population recruited from different health centers in Jordan is relatively low and estimates a prevalence of 0.42% among all age groups and 0.56% among those aged >15 years old.

Keywords: Epidemiology; HCV infection; Hepatitis C; Jordan; Prevalence.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Community Health Centers
Hepatitis C / epidemiology*
Humans
Jordan / epidemiology
Prevalence
Random Allocation