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Hepatitis B and C is a common global health problem and is
spreading rapidly in developing countries due to lack of
health education, poverty and illiteracy. Both of these
infections can be transmitted through blood or body fluids,
tattooing, through infected instruments, unsafe shave by
barbers and sexual contact. Medical personnel are most
exposed to these infections. There should be proper
preventive measures to prevent its spread in the community.
This is a descriptive study carried out on 1929 adult
patients in the Department of virology at Central Laboratory
of the Ministry of Health in Amman the capital of Jordan
between January 2010 to December 2011 using a Bioelisa HCV
4.0 and HBs Agis an immune enzymatic. The subjects, positive
for virus-related antibody, were further confirmed for viral
RNA (for HCV) and DNA (for HBV) in the blood by polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The virus of PCR-confirmed
HCV-individuals was further genotyped and the prevalence of
HCV infection was determined with respect to age, sex,
history of exposure to blood or surgical operation and
different types of liver diseases. The HCV infection was
found to be the predominant liver infection in the
population which was 7.7 % of the positive cases, as against
10 % of HBV. Among the HCV-positive subjects (66% females,
48% males) 56% were asymptomatic. No co-incidence of HBV and
HCV was found in any subject. We conclude that the viral
hepatitis among the apparently healthy population of a
relatively natural and pollution free environment refers to
an alarming condition about liver infections, particularly
of HCV, and HBV in Jordan.
Keywords:
Hepatitis B infection
prevention, immunization hepatitis C;
HCV antibody; PCR; Jordan. |
