Profile of hepatitis C virus and the possible modes of transmission of the virus in the Gizan area of Saudi Arabia: a community-based study

The seroprevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and the possible modes of transmission of HCV were investigated in Gizan, southern Saudi Arabia. The sample size chosen to give an adequate estimate of the seroprevalence, about 1500, was based on the assumption that 5% of the population in Gizan were anti-HCV-positive. Sera from 1482 subjects (705 males, 777 females; aged ⩾ 10 years) were initially screened for anti-HCV using a commercial, ubiquitin-based enzyme immunoassay. Repeatedly reactive sera were confirmed positive using second-generation immunoassays. Serum samples were also tested by ELISA for hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) and antibodies to this antigen and to the hepatitis B core antigen. Of the subjects tested, 27 (1·8%) were anti-HCV-positive. Exposure to HCV was generally similar in both sexes, age-prevalence curves for anti-HCV peaking in males aged >49 years (6·2%) and in females aged 40–49 years (5·0%). In the youngest subjects, those aged 10–19 years, the HbsAg carrier...