Abstract
Fatigue is a common state associated with a weakening or depletion of one’s physical and mental resources, that leads to the inability to continue the individual functioning at a normal level of activity. Frequently, fatigue represents a response to infections, inflammation and autoimmune diseases. The scope of this study was to evaluate the fatigue in healthcare workers with and without hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Mental, physical and severity fatigue were evaluated through Krupp, Wessely and Powell fatigue scale. Anti-HCV antibodies, HCV RNA and HCV genotypes were also measured. Physical, mental and severity fatigue were higher in healthcare workers with HCV infection than the healthcare workers without infection (p < 0.01). Our data showed a direct link between fatigue and HCV infection in healthcare workers. Further studies are needed to evaluate HCV antiviral treatments on fatigue severity and on quality of life in healthcare workers
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 71 million persons were living with chronic viral infection worldwide in 2015 [1]
This cross-sectional study confirms the negative impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on physical and mental fatigue (p < 0.01) in healthcare worker
The cross-sectional nature of this study prevented the establishment of a causal relationship between variables and represents a potential limitation
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 71 million persons were living with chronic viral infection worldwide in 2015 [1]. Among these infections, viral hepatitis causes more than a million deaths each year. The global prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is estimated at 2.5%, ranging from 2.9% in Africa to 1.3% in America [2]. The number of individuals chronically infected with HCV is estimated to be approximately 160 million, but most of them are unaware of their infection [3]. Chronic HCV infection is the primary cause of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is one of the most common cancers and the third cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
