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UNLABELLED: Hepatitis C is the second major endemic viral infection in the world after HIV. In the USA it is the first liver transplant indication. Currently, the main risk factors to develop this disease are history of blood transfusions and IV drug usage. Sexual transmission remains controversial and accounts probably for less than 5% of case transmissions. PURPOSE: Determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in female sexual workers from Northern Lima and identify other risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed in female sexual workers from Northern Lima. Risk factors were assessed in a survey; at the time of the assessment they were HIV negative. The COBAS CORE Anti-HCV EIA II Test was used. RESULTS: HCV serology was negative in all 98 sexual workers. 90% used protection with condoms, none used IV drugs and only one had a previous history of blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: HCV prevalence in female sexual workers evaluated was zero. They have few risk factors, sexual transmission of this virus is very low and even lower in a population where over 90% of the people uses condoms.

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OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of blood-borne sexually transmitted infections (STI) including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1), hepetitis B virus (HBV) and syphillis in residents of a detoxification/rehabilitation unit in Jamaica. METHODS: The records of 301 patients presenting, over a 5-year period, for treatment of substance abuse were reviewed for demographic and laboratory data. The laboratory results were compared with those of 131 blood donors who were used as representative of the general population. The substances used were alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. None of the subjects was an intravenous (IV) drug user. Female substance abusers were at higher risk than males for STI. The prevalence of STI in substance abusers did not differ significantly from that in blood donors (12 percent v 10 percent). The prevalence of syphilis in substance abusers was significantly higher than in blood donors (6 percent v 3 percent; p < 0.05). The prevalence of syphilis was dramatically increased in female substance abusers and female blood donors (30 percent; p < 0.001 and 13 percent; p < 0.05, respectively) compared with males. An increased frequency of HTLV-1 was observed in female compared to male substance abusers. Unemployment was identified as a risk factor for sexually transmitted disease in substance abusers. CONCLUSION: These results support the policy of screening patients in detoxification units for STI and indicate a need for gender specific approaches in the control of substance abuse and STI in Jamaica.(Au)

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OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers in female sex workers (FSW) in Mexico City. METHODS: The study population consisted of 1498 FSW who attended a detection centre for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Mexico City, between January and October 1992. Study participants responded to a standardised questionnaire and provided a blood sample for serology of syphilis, HIV, and HBV. RESULTS: A total of 0.2% (95% CI 0.1-0.3) of the population were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. The general prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was 6.3% (95% CI 5.5-7.1). This marker of previous exposition to HBV, was independently associated by logistic regression multivariate analysis with age, working in the street, and history of blood transfusion (BT) before 1987 (OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.1-11.3). Syphilis prevalence was 7.6% (95% CI 6.2-8.9) and HIV prevalence was 0.1% (95% CI 0-0.3). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HBV infection in this group of Mexican FSW is lower than previously reported in other countries. In addition, the frequency of HBsAg carriers is similar to that in the general Mexican population. The absence of two major risk factors for HBV transmission in this group of FSW--that is, injecting drug use and anal intercourse, could help to explain this finding. However, the positive association between anti-HBc and history of blood transfusion demonstrated here, highlights the need to reinforce strict control of blood supplies in Mexico.

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Objetivo. Establecer la prevalencia de anticuerpos virales y reaginas luéticas en una población de donadores voluntarios. Sitio. Un hospital general de tercer nivel del ISSSTE en la ciudad de Morelia, estado de Michoacán. Desde 1986 es obligatorio en los bancos de sangre de México, investigar en todos los donadores la presencia de anticuerpos contra el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (anti-VIH), antígeno de superficie del virus de la hepatitis B (Ags VHB) y reaginas luéticas (RPR); y desde 1993, es también obligatorio determinar anticuerpos contra el virus de la hepatitis C (anti-VHC). Material y métodos. En siete años (01/01/90 a 31/12/96) se obtuvieron 10,077 muestras de donadores voluntarios sanos para la determinación de anti-VIH, AgsVHB y RPR. De 01/07/92 a 31/12/96 se colectaron 7,256 muestras para investigación de anti-VHC. Resultados. Fueron positivos 19 donadores para anti-VIH (0.18 por ciento), 34 para AgsVHB (0.33 por ciento), 12 para RPR (0.11 por ciento) y 22 para anti-VHC (0.30 por ciento). Estas tasas son similares a las de otros bancos de sangre mexicanos

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