Background and aim: To identify the geographic distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and HCV RNA viral load in a large number of HCV-infected carriers in Mexico.
Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis C (n = 8,802) were studied to identify HCV genotype using an immune line probe assay in samples shown previously to be positive for viral RNA by an RT-PCR test. Baseline HCV RNA was also evaluated.
Results: Genotype 1 accounted for 70.3%, genotype 2 for 21.8%, genotype 3 for 7.2%, genotype 4 for 0.3%, and genotype 5 for 0.1% of all cases; coinfection was present in 0.3%. Overall, Genotype 1 was the most prevalent Genotype. Regionally, genotype 1 occurred more frequently in the North-East, North, and Center- East regions of Mexico; genotype 2 was more prevalent in the South, East, and Peninsula regions; and genotype 3 was more prevalent in the North and North-West regions. Only 22.4% of patients with genotype 1 were classified in the low HCV RNA viral load category, and the distribution of this genotype did not differ significantly between regions.
Conclusion: The prevalence of HCV genotypes and viral load in Mexico was 70.3% for genotype 1, but only 22.4% of these patients had a low HCV viral load. Distribution was not uniform in Mexico, with greater frequency of genotype 2 in South, East and Peninsula Regions and Genotype 3 in North and North-West Regions.