Loading...
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is common in Egypt, where the overall prevalence of HCV antibodies is about 15% to 20%. Schistosomiasis is also a major problem, especially along the Nile River. Previous mass treatment campaigns used parenteral antischistosomal therapy (PAT). In the 1960s, each patient received, on average, 9 injections. More than 2 million injections were given annually between 1964 and 1982, often to children and adolescents. Hundreds of patients per session received injections (often intravenous) with 20 to 30 syringes used in rotation, supposedly boiled between uses. This study assessed the role of PAT in spreading HCV in Egypt by calculating a cohort-specific exposure index for PAT (from data describing PAT use betwee…