Risk factors in individuals with a positive HCV test

Abstract

One thousand and fifty-five indivuduals with a positive hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody test were asked about the following risk factors for HCV infection: blood transfusion, iv drug use, haemophilia, dialysis treatment, occupation, multiple (>5) sex partners per year. Five hundred and thirty-one (50.3%) individuals indicated one, 106 (10%) two, and three (0.3%) three factors respectively, however 415 (39.3%) did not indicate any risk factor at all. Transfusion was often combined with dialysis or haemophilia and drug abuse with multiple sex partners. In total transfusion was indicated in 61.5%, iv drug use in 16.5%, dialysis in 8.1%, profession as healthcare worker in 7.3%, multiple sex partners in 3.4% and haemophilia in 3.0%. The relatively high amount of cases without any risk factor is suspected to be caused by an unspecific (false positive) HCV test. A few cases, however, may be explained by tatooing, visits to tropical countries and vertical transmission. Cases in the age group 0–20 yr were mainly caused by children with leukaemia or other malignancies, one peak in the age distribution curve was at the age of 31–40, which obviously was caused by drug users. The remaining cases fell into the older age groups and peaked at 61–70 yr.