Epidemiological and Virological Characteristics of Individuals Suffering from Chronic Hepatitis C

Introduction: The worldwide prevalence of HCV infection is estimated at> 185 million, while undiagnosed infections may increase it up to 20–30%. HCV infection is characterized by a growing transition rate (80-85%) to chronic hepatitis. This is mainly due to the fact that the majority of patients seem to be unable to eliminate the virus. The viral elimination of HCV can not be achieved due to weak immune response. Aim: The evaluation of epidemiological and virological characteristics of individuals suffering from Chronic Hepatitis C. Material and Method: A literature review was conducted on both Greek and English languages, through Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct και Google Scholar databases, using the key-words: "Chronic Hepatitis C", "Hepatitis C Epidemiology" "Hepatitis C Genotypes". Results: Worldwide, there are 170 million HCV - infected people (2.7 million Americans), representing 3% of the total world population, according to WHO. Prevalence of HCV infection ranges in northern Europe from < 1.0% to >2.9% in North Africa. The lowest prevalence (0.01% -0.1%) has been reported in UK and Scandinavian countries. The highest impact has been reported in Egypt. Epidemiological studies in Greece estimate the HCV infection prevalence ranges from 0.5% to 2% (160,000-220,000 HCV-infected). Genotypes responsible for HCV infection are distinguished in 7

Category: Volume 57, N 2
Hits: 670 Hits
Created Date: 15-06-2018
Authors: Eftychia Evangelidou , Michail Mantzanas , Dimitrios Koukoularis