Abstract

SABINA MOLINA, Domingo; GARCIA VALDES, Francisco; ASCONEGUI MOYA, Álvaro  and  MARTINEZ LOPEZ, Orelvis. Características epidemiológicas de la hepatitis C en donantes de sangre. Rev Cubana Hig Epidemiol [online]. 2002, vol.40, n.3, pp. 279-293. ISSN 1561-3003.

A case-control study (60 and 120, respectively) of blood donors from the Provincial Blood Bank of Cienfuegos was conducted. The cases were those identified as positive in the test for detecting antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV), whereas the controls were the selected donors with negative test (third generation ELISA test). The prevalence of risk factors for acquiring hepatitis C was estimated in blood donors and the force of association between risk factors and the appearance of infection caused by HCV was measured. It was proved that the risk variables with the highest odd ratio values (with statistical significance) were the received transfusions, the parental treatments and the sexually transmitted diseases history. It was found a high prevalence of asthma among HCV seropositive patients (23 %), which may be related to the way of percutaneous transmission by repeated parental treatments.

Keywords : HEPATITIS C [epidemiology]; HEPATITIS C [transmission]; BLOOD DONORS; HEPATITIS C-LIKE VIRUSES; RISK FACTORS.