Clinico-epidemiology of hepatitis C viral infection in northeastern Thailand.

Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for a large number of cases of chronic liver disease worldwide. A study of clinico-epidemiology of HCV infection was conducted in 214 patients who were seropositive for antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, northeastern Thailand, during August 1997 to December 1998. There were 199 males, 15 females and their mean age was 34.96 +/- 9.75 years with a range from 16 to 72 years. The clinical features of acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and asymptomatic HCV infection were 2, 115, 15, 2 and 80 cases. Risk factors for HCV acquisition were intravenous drug use (IVDU), tattooing and blood transfusion in 46.7, 32.2 and 18.8% of cases, respectively. 23.36% had a history of multiple risk factors while 28.9% had no history of risk factor exposure.
Description
The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health.
Keywords
Citation
Chunlertrith K, Sukeepaisarnjaroen W, Mairiang P, Urwijitaroon Y, Takase K, Yamauchi T, Yoshimura H, Tameda Y. Clinico-epidemiology of hepatitis C viral infection in northeastern Thailand. The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 2000 Jun; 31(2): 273-6