Abstract
Purpose: The primitive tribal groups (PTGs) need special attention because of their low population growth: declining population size with high mortality rates. Scanty reports are available on the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in primitive tribes of the country emphasizing their cultural and social practices associated with transmission of the disease.Methods: The study was conducted on 1765 tribal individuals covering 5 PTGs, namely Lodha, Saora, Khadia, Juanga, and Mankidia, from 6 districts of Odisha. Serum samples were tested for the anti-HCV antibody using commercially available enzyme immunoassays. HCV RNA was detected based on the 5′ NCR region and genotyping was done by direct sequencing of the core region. Potential risk factors for HCV transmission were collected using a questionnaire and subjected to regression analysis through SPSS, version 17.0.Results: Antibody to HCV was detected in 0%, 3.3%, 5.7%, 8.5%, and 13.4% in Saora, Lodha, Khadia, Juanga, and Mankidia tribes, respectively. HCV RNA was detected in 8.6% (11/127) of the samples tested. Genotyping of HCV isolates in all HCV RNA-positive samples revealed genotype 1b. Sharing of razors and shaving by the village barber were found to be significantly (p<0.05) associated with HCV transmission in males, whereas tattooing and multiple injections were found to be significant risk factors for females.Conclusion: This study indicated a high prevalence of HCV infection in Mankidia and Juanga tribes in comparison with the national scenario, which needs public health attention.
Highlights
With lack of prophylactic vaccination and cost-effective treatment, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged as an important public health problem in India.[1,2,3,4] identifying the population with high-risk behavior for HCV transmission and formulating strategies for prevention of transmission remain the mainstay of research.The tribal communities in India are distinct in their sociocultural practices, socioeconomic developments that affect their morbidity pattern, and health-seeking behavior.Limited studies are available on tribal communities in India reporting an antibody prevalence ranging between 1% and 13.7%,5–10 which includes primitive tribal groups (PTGs) from Andaman and Nicobar a Shantanu Kumar Kar et al 2019; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc
PTGs are of greater concern because they are specially endangered groups with either declining or stagnant population growth and a very low level of literacy and social development indicated by the preagricultural level of technology.[11]
This study reports the first evidence on molecular epidemiology of HCV infection in five PTGs of Odisha and possible risk factors prevailing in these communities associated with HCV transmission
Summary
With lack of prophylactic vaccination and cost-effective treatment, hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged as an important public health problem in India.[1,2,3,4] identifying the population with high-risk behavior for HCV transmission and formulating strategies for prevention of transmission remain the mainstay of research. These are important information sources toward morbidity and mortality because of transmission risk related to community behavior and potential chronicity of liver disease. No report is available on this infection from the state of Odisha where a large proportion of the total population is represented by the tribal community (>22%), which includes 13 PTGs. PTGs are of greater concern because they are specially endangered groups with either declining or stagnant population growth and a very low level of literacy and social development indicated by the preagricultural level of technology.[11]. This study reports the first evidence on molecular epidemiology of HCV infection in five PTGs of Odisha and possible risk factors prevailing in these communities associated with HCV transmission
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