Surveillance of acute hepatitis C in Cairo, Egypt

Surveillance of acute hepatitis has been set up in two fever hospitals in Cairo to diagnose acute hepatitis C. Patients were categorized as definite acute hepatitis C with positive hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and without anti-HCV antibody, or probable acute hepatitis C with positive HCV RNA, positive anti-HCV antibody, alanine aminotransferase ≥4 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), and high risk parenteral exposure in the 1-3 months prior to the beginning of symptoms. From May to November 2002, 315 patients were recruited in the study. Of these, 115 (36.5%) had acute hepatitis A, 89 (28.3%) had acute hepatitis B, and 111 (35.2%) had non-A non-B acute hepatitis. Of the total with complete data (n = 309), 12 (3.9%, 95% CI = 2.0%-6.7%) had definite acute hepatitis C, and 11 (3.6%, 95% Cl = 1.8%-6.3%) had probable acute hepatitis C. In patients with definite acute hepatitis C, dental exposure (n = 5) and intravenous drug use (n = 2), were the only high risk procedures found in the 6 months prior to diagnosis. Five patients had no identifiable parenteral exposure. In conclusion, results from this study suggest that acute hepatitis C can be diagnosed by surveillance of acute hepatitis in hospital settings in Cairo and that minor community exposures contribute substantially to local HCV transmission. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.