Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients in Marrakesh Region

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major global public health problem. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the seroprevalence of hepatitis C in chronic hemodialysis patients, a category of patients at particular risk of hepatitis C virus transmission, and to identify the main risk factors for infection. This is a prospective study conducted from January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2017, including 600 chronic hemodialysis patients treated at 5 centers in the Marrakech region. Patients were tested for anti-HCV antibodies by chemiluminescent microparticulate immunoassay (CMIA). The confirmation is carried out by ELISA. The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS statistics 17.0 software. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies is 15%. There is no statistically significant difference between the groups of HCV-infected and non-HCV-infected patients in terms of age, sex, and number of RBCs transfused. In contrast, the median hemodialysis duration and the number of attended hemodialysis centers were significantly higher in the HCV + group (p <0.001). The factor transfusion long incriminated, loses its importance. On the other hand, seniority in hemodialysis and the number of centers frequented seem to be contributing factors. Adherence to hygiene measures and the rigorous application of prevention recommendations against HCV transmission could further improve the prevalence of hepatitis C in dialysis units.