Abstract
Background: Patients with thalassemia major are at high risk of hepatitis C and B due to the blood transfusion from donors infected by HCV and HBV. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of post-transfusion hepatitis infection (PTH). Objective: The aim of this study is to detect the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies and HBs Ag and risk factors in multitransfused thalassemic patients in Kirkuk city to establish better preventive strategies. Patients and Methods: This study is conducted in Kirkuk city from Nov 2012 to March 2013 for HCV and HBV infection. A structured interview questionnaire is developed by the trained researcher to collect the demographic and risk factors. Statistical analysis was done by Chi-square test. Results: The prevalence of HCV is estimated to be (17.8%) and this is increased with increasing the requirement for blood transfusion in splenectomized patients while only (2.0%) is positive for HBV infection. Conclusion: The study shows a higher prevalence of HCV infection among multitransfused thalassemic patients with increasing requirement for blood transfusion in splenectomized patients.
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