*MUHAMMAD ISHAQ, **SYED SANOWAR ALI, ***NASIM KARIM, ****NASIM ISMAIL UMRANI, *****NASIR HASSAN

ABSTRACT

Objective:To find out the prevalence of hepatitis B and C virus among the healthy volunteer blood donors at Taulka hospital Sujjawal, district Thatta, Sindh.

Methods: It was hospital based Cross Sectional study carried out from August 2004 to May 2005 at Taulka hospital Sujjawal, district Thatta, Sindh. All healthy volunteer blood donors reporting to Blood bank were screened for Hepatitis B and C. The donors screening for HBsAg and Anti HCV is done by One Step Test Device (Serum / Plasma).

Result: A total number of 310 donors were screened for HBsAg and HCV. The overall HBsAg prevalence was 5.81% and anti-HCV prevalence was 1.3%. Females (6.25%) are predominantly seropositive for HBsAg than males (5.76%) and regarding anti-HCV only males (1.3%) are seropositive in this study. Conclusion: Blood transfusion is one of the main sources of transmission of Hepatitis B and C. The preventive strategies are adopted for Hepatitis B and C viruses which constitute a major public health measures in Pakistan.

Key words: Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Blood donors

For Full text contact to:
Prof. Dr. Farah Mansuri
editor@annals-ashkmdc.org

*Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Jinnah Medical & Dental college, Karachi.
**Senior Instructor, Community Medicine Department Jinnah Medical & Dental College, Karachi. ***Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Dow university of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi.
****Medical Superintendent & Taulka Health Officer Taulka Hospital Sujjawal, District Thatta, Sindh.
*****Assistant Professor Department of Hepatogastroenterology SIUT, Karachi