Low prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in a prisoner population from Maracaibo, Venezuela

Francisca Monsalve, Leonor Chacín Bonilla, Ricardo José Atencio, Leticia Denys Porto, Luciana Ana Costa León, Jesús Enrique Estévez, Diana Estela Callejas Valero, .

Keywords: hepatitis C, prevalence, prisoners, Venezuela.

Abstract

Introduction. The high risk behaviors observed in prison centers have favored the transmission of hepatitis C virus infection. The main risk factor to acquire hepatitis C virus infection seems to be the use of intravenous drugs. In Venezuela, the prevalence of the infection in these centers is unknown since studies of the hepatitis C virus there are lacking.
Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus and the risk factors involved in the transmission in prisoner populations.
Material and methods. A sample of 200 prisoners was studied from Sabaneta Jail, Maracaibo, Venezuela. The ages were between 18-69 years (average ± DS: 31.6±9.9 years). Serum samples were tested by a fourth generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ELISA and a confirmatory assay INNO-LIA. Both kits were from Innogenetic Laboratories N.V. (Belgium). Viral RNA was tested by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique (RT-PCR).
Results. The ELISA assay determined a hepatitis C virus prevalence of 5.0% (10/200); 3/200 (1.5%) individuals were positive by both INNO-LIA and RT-PCR tests.
Conclusions. The observed prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in this population was very low, suggesting a low circulation of the virus in this environment and a low level of associated risk behaviors.

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  • Francisca Monsalve Cátedra de Virología, Escuela de Bioanálisis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela
  • Leonor Chacín Bonilla Postgrado de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela
  • Ricardo José Atencio Laboratorio Regional de Referencia Virológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela
  • Leticia Denys Porto Laboratorio Regional de Referencia Virológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela
  • Luciana Ana Costa León Cátedra de Virología, Escuela de Bioanálisis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela
  • Jesús Enrique Estévez Instituto de Investigaciones Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela
  • Diana Estela Callejas Valero Cátedra de Virología, Escuela de Bioanálisis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezuela. Laboratorio Regional de Referencia Virológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Estado Zulia, Venezu

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How to Cite
1.
Monsalve F, Chacín Bonilla L, Atencio RJ, Porto LD, Costa León LA, Estévez JE, et al. Low prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in a prisoner population from Maracaibo, Venezuela. biomedica [Internet]. 2009 Dec. 1 [cited 2024 May 18];29(4):647-52. Available from: https://revistabiomedica.org/index.php/biomedica/article/view/142

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Published
2009-12-01
Section
Short communication

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