Prevalence of Anti-HCV Antibody Among the General Population in Mainland China Between 1991 and 2015: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

: Our study aims to estimate the burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among the general population in Mainland China. We searched 4 databases for studies of the prevalence of anti-HCV antibody among the general population. Studies that met the selection criteria were included in the meta-analysis. Ninety-four studies with 10729 929 individuals were finally included. Overall, the prevalence of anti-HCV antibody among the general population in Mainland China is 0.91% (95% confidence interval, 0.81%-1.03%). The prevalence rates of anti-HCV antibody were geographically different, with a range of 0.32%-6.51%, and the East and South of China had a relatively lower prevalence. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibody increased successively from 0.16% to 3.95% with advancing age. It was noteworthy that the prevalence of anti-HCV antibody decreased continuously from 2.09% to 0.45% during 1991-2010, whereas it increased to 0.58% during 2011-2015.