Prevalence of Hepatitis C and B in MURCY Hospital Peshawar, KP, Pakistan

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the epidemiological status of hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viral infection and associated risk factors in MURCY Hospital Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan from November 2015 to April 2016. A total of 500 clinically suspected cases of HCV and a total of 300 clinically suspected cases of HBV were enrolled in the study from serum samples. HCV prevalence was significantly detected in male patients (n = 53, 32.5%) as compared to female patients (n = 97, 28.7%). Patients in the age group of 61–80 years (n = 38, 58.4%) were more prone to HCV, but less prevalent in the age group of 41-60 years (n=87, 25.1%). The prevalence of HVC was low (n=97, 27.7) in the people who use drugs and were high (n=53, 35.3%) in non-users of drugs. Also HBV prevalence was significantly detected in female patients (n = 40, 22.2%) as compared to male patients (n = 23, 20.8%). Patients in the age group of 41-60 years (n = 31, 26%) were more prone to HBV, but less prevalent in the age group of 1-20 years (n=1, 10%) and in the age group of 21-40 years (n=15, 15.3%). The overall incidence of Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B virus in the present research study was 30% (n=150) and 66% (n=65) respectively in clinically suspected cases in district Peshawar, Pakistan.