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Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Iran; Viral Spread Routes in General Population and Safety Measures

Author(s):
Muhammad Sohail AfzalMuhammad Sohail Afzal1,*, Tahir AhmadTahir Ahmad2, Haroon AhmedHaroon Ahmed3
1Department of Chemistry, School of Science, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, Pakistan
2Atta ur Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
3Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan


Hepatitis Monthly:Vol. 15, issue 10; e17343
Published online:Oct 24, 2015
Article type:Letter
Received:Jan 02, 2014
Accepted:Jan 04, 2014
How to Cite:Muhammad Sohail AfzalTahir AhmadHaroon AhmedHepatitis C Virus Infection in Iran; Viral Spread Routes in General Population and Safety Measures.Hepat Mon.2015;15(10):e17343.https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.17343.

Dear Editor,

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of liver related morbidity and mortality in the world; with more than 180 million infected patients (1). HCV prevalence is very low in Iran. The recent reports from Iran showed that HCV prevalence in general population was about 0.05% - 0.2% (2, 3). Due to globalization and traveling worldwide, especially to the neighboring countries, there is a chance of viral spread (4). The major factors involved in HCV spread are intravenous drug abuse, unhealthy medical practices, sharing contaminated objects such as needles and barbers' unawareness (5). Host factors are also involved in disease susceptibility, progression and viral self-clearance (6, 7). Recently, Zamani et al. (3) showed that unsterile punctures and history of infection in family members were associated with HCV spread. Despite obligatory blood screening for HCV, the prevalence of HCV infection raised dramatically in recent decades in the Middle-Eastern region. Currently, HCV prevalence in general Iranian population is very low; massive awareness campaigns should be done on a regular basis to educate general population to control the viral spread.

Footnotes

References

  • 1.
    Anjum S, Ali S, Ahmad T, Afzal MS, Waheed Y, Shafi T, et al. Sequence and Structural Analysis of 3' Untranslated Region of Hepatitis C Virus, Genotype 3a, From Pakistani Isolates. Hepat Mon. 2013;13(5). ee8390. [PubMed ID: 23922562]. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.8390.
  • 2.
    Shakeri MT, Nomani H, Ghayour Mobarhan M, Sima HR, Gerayli S, Shahbazi S, et al. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus in mashhad, iran: a population-based study. Hepat Mon. 2013;13(3). eee7723. [PubMed ID: 23745128]. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.7723.
  • 3.
    Zamani F, Sohrabi M, Poustchi H, Keyvani H, Saeedian FS, Ajdarkosh H, et al. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Amol City, North of Iran: A Population-Based Study (2008-2011). Hepat Mon. 2013;13(12). ee13313. [PubMed ID: 24358039]. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.13313.
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    Afzal MS, Anjum S, Zaidi NUSS. Changing of HCV Clade Pattern in Iran; the Possible Means for Something Good. Hepat Mon. 2014;14(1). ee11879. [PubMed ID: 24497875]. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.11879.
  • 5.
    Afzal MS, Ahmed T, Zaidi NUSS. Comparison of HCV Prevalence in Pakistan and Iran; An Insight into Future. Hepat Mon. 2014;14(1). ee11466. [PubMed ID: 24497874]. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.11466.
  • 6.
    Afzal MS, Tahir S, Salman A, Baig TA, Shafi T, Zaidi NU, et al. Analysis of interleukin-10 gene polymorphisms and hepatitis C susceptibility in Pakistan. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2011;5(6):473-9. [PubMed ID: 21727647].
  • 7.
    Afzal MS, Anjum S, Zaidi NUSS. Effect of Functional Interleukin-10 Polymorphism on Pegylated Interferon-α Plus Ribavirin Therapy Response in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Patients Infected With 3a Genotype in Pakistani Population. Hepat Mon. 2013;13(6). ee10274. [PubMed ID: 24032042]. https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.10274.
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