Incidence of Hepatitis C Infection in a Hepatitis C Endemic Township in Southern Taiwan

To realize the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in an HCV endemic township, Tzukuan, in Taiwan, we conducted a follow-up community-based survey. A total of 173 adults, 82 males and 91 females, with mean age of 55.5 ± 9.9 years received initial and follow-up anti-HCV tests with one-year interval. One (1.2%, 95% CI: 0%~5.5%) of 84 anti-HCV-positive subjects was negative-seroconversion, and 4 (4.5%, 95% CI: 0.2%~8.8%) of 89 anti-HCV-negative subjects were positive-serocon-version. The results indicated that hepatitis C might be still spreading in the HCV-endemic area now.