Hepatitis C virus infection among multi-transfused patients and personnel in haemodialysis units in central Islamic Republic of Iran

A cross-sectional study was made of the prevalence of HCV and associated risk factors in 382 multi-transfused patients and haemodialysis staff in Yadz province in 2006. Of those tested for anti-HCV antibodies, 50.6% of patients with inherited bleeding disorders, 11.8% with thalassaemia and 5.0% undergoing haemodialysis were seropositive. First transfusion before 1996 (when blood donor screening started) was the common risk factor associated with HCV infection. Only 1/52 haemodialysis staff members was HCV infected (an intravenous drug user). Infection control measures were poor in all centres. In patients with inherited bleeding disorders genotype 1 (65.0%) was the predominant followed by genotype 3 (35.0%). The results provide evidence that blood donor screening and use of virus-inactivated factor concentrates have lowered the risk of HCV infection among multi-transfused patients.