Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T14:08:46.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hepatitis C virus infection in Iceland: a recently introduced bloodborne disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

A. Löve  and
B. Stanzeit
A. Löve
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Virology, University of Iceland, Ármúli la, P.O. Box 8733, 128 Reykjavík, Iceland
B. Stanzeit
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Virology, University of Iceland, Ármúli la, P.O. Box 8733, 128 Reykjavík, Iceland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This study demonstrates a very high prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus among Icelandic intravenous (i.v.) drug users. Of 152 identified i.v. drug users 95 (63%) were shown to have antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. In contrast the seroprevalence in the general Icelandic population is low, (0·2%). Almost all cases of hepatitis C virus infection in Iceland are due to i.v. drug use or to use of infected blood or blood products. Sporadic cases with unexplained modes of transmission, a significant portion of hepatitis C infections elsewhere, are virtually non-existent in Iceland. The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that the sporadic community-acquired cases could be caused by blood transfer due to bites from insect vectors such as mosquitoes which are not found in Iceland.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 113 , Issue 3 , December 1994 , pp. 529 - 536
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

References

1QL, Choo, Kuo, G, AJ, Weiner, LR, Overby, DW, Bradley, Houghton, M. Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science 1989; 244: 359–62.Google Scholar
2Kuo, G, QL, Choo, HJ, Alter et al. An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science 1989; 244: 361–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3CL, Van der Poel, HTM, Cuypers, HW, Reesink et al. Confirmation of hepatitis C infection by new four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay. Lancet 1991; 337: 317–9.Google Scholar
4CE, Stevens, PE, Taylor, Pindyck, J et al. Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus. A preliminary study in volunteer blood donors. JAMA 1990; 263: 49–53.Google Scholar
5Janot, C, AM, Courouce, Mninez, M. Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in French blood donors. Lancet 1989; ii: 796–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Sirchia, G, Bellobuono, A, Giovanetti, A, Marconi, M. Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in Italian blood donors. Lancet 1989; ii: 797.Google Scholar
7Watanabe, J, Minegishi, K, Mitsumori, T et al. Prevalence of anti HCV antibody in blood donors in the Tokyo area. Vox Sang 1990; 59: 86–8Google ScholarPubMed
8Kühnl, P, Seidl, S, Stangel, W, Beyer, J, Sibrowski, W, Flik, J. Antibody to hepatitis C virus in German blood donors. Lancet 1989; ii: 324.Google Scholar
9Roggendorf, M, Deinhardt, F, Rasshofer, R et al. Antibodies to hepatitis C virus. Lancet 1989; ii: 324–25.Google Scholar
10MJ, Alter, HS, Margolis, Krawczynski, K et al. The natural history of community-acquired hepatitis C in the United States. N Engl J Med 1992; 327: 1899–905.Google Scholar
11Bartolotti, F, Tagger, A, Cardobbi, P et al. Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in community-acquired acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. J Hepatol 1991; 12: 176–80.Google Scholar
12FB, Hollinger, HJ, Lin. Community-acquired hepatitis C virus infection. Gastroenterol 1992; 102: 1426–9.Google Scholar
13Verbnan, H, Widell, A, Lindgren, S, Lindmnrk, B, Nordenfelt, E, Eriksson, S. Hepatitis C in chronic liver disease: an epidemiological study based on 566 consecutive patients undergoing liver biopsy during a 10-year period. J Intern Med. 1992; 232: 33–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14MJ, Alter, PJ, Coleman, WJ, Alexander et al. Importance of heterosexual activity in the transmission of hepatitis B and non-A, non-B hepatitis. JAMA 1989; 262: 1201–5.Google Scholar
15Perez-Romero, M, Sanchez-Quijano, A, Lissen, E. Transmission of hepatitis C virus. Ann Intern Med 1990; 113: 411.Google Scholar
16JE, Everhart, AM, Di Bisceglie, LM, Murrary et al. Risk for non-A, non-B (type C) hepatitis through sexual or household contact with chronic carriers. Ann Intern Med 1990; 112: 544–5.Google Scholar
17SC, Gordon, AH, Patel, GW, Kulesza, RE, Barnes, AL, Silverman. Lack of evidence for the heterosexual transmission of hepatitis C. Am J Gastroenterol 1992; 87: 1849–51.Google Scholar
18DB, Brettler, PM, Mannucci, Gringeri, A et al. The low risk of hepatitis C virus transmission among sexual partners of hepatitis C- infected hemophilic males: An international, multicenter study. Blood 1992; 80: 540–3.Google Scholar
19Wejstål, R, Hermodsson, S, Iwarson, S, Norkrans, G. Mother to infant transmission of hepatitis C virus infection. J Med Virol 1990; 30: 178–80.Google Scholar
20JF, Reinus, EL, Leikin, HJ, Alter et al. Failure to detect vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus. Ann Intern Med 1992; 117: 881–6Google Scholar
21Bresters, D, EP, Mauser-Bunschoten, HW, Reesink et al. Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus. Lancet 1993; 342: 210–1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Houghton, M, Weiner, A, Han, J, Kuo, G, Q-L, Choo. Molecular biology of the hepatitis C viruses: Implications for diagnosis, development and control of viral disease. Hepatol 1991; 14: 381–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Olafsson, E, skordýratal, Íslenskt. Fjülrit Náttürufraôistofnunar, Reykjavík, Iceland, 1991; 17: 46–57.Google Scholar
24Reunala, T, Brummer-Korvenkontio, H, Palosuo, K et al. Frequent occurrence of IgE and IgG4 antibodies against saliva of Aedes communis and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in children. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol, (in press).Google Scholar
25TJ, White, Madej, R, DH, Persing. The polymerase chain reaction: clinical applications. Adv Clin Chem 1992; 29: 161–96.Google Scholar
26AJ, Weiner, Kuo, G, DW, Bradley et al. Detection of hepatitis C viral sequences in non-A, non-B hepatitis. Lancet 1990; 335: 1–3.Google Scholar
27JA, Garson, RS, Tedder, Briggs, M et al. Detection of hepatitis C viral sequences in blood donations by “nested” polymerase chain reaction and prediction of infectivity. Lancet 1990; 335: 1419–22.Google Scholar
28Kancko, S, Unoura, M, Kobayashi, K, Kuno, K, Murakami, S, Hattori, N. Detection of serum hepatitis C virus RNA. Lancet 1990; 335: 976.Google Scholar
29Novati, R, Thiers, V, Monforte, A et al. Mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis C virus detected by nested polymerase chain reaction. J Infect Dis 1992; 165: 720–3Google Scholar