Irfan Ali Mirza, Syed Mathar Hussain Kazmi, Asif Nawaz Janjua.
Frequency of Hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HCV in young adults – experience in southern Punjab.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Jan ;17(2):114-5.

The purpose of this communication is to describe the frequency of HBsAg and Anti- HCV in a cross section of a young healthy population of Southern Punjab. A total of 1821 young male individuals, presenting at the Pathology Department of Combined Military Hospital, Bahawalpur, from January to December 2005, for their medical evaluation as a pre-requisite for recruitment in the Armed Forces, were tested. The details regarding age, marital status, residential area, history of minor/major surgical operation, dental procedures, skin tattooing, history of jaundice, blood transfusions, therapeutic injections, regular visits to barbers for shave etc. were taken. All the individuals were asymptomatic. The age range was between 17 – 23 years. The individuals were drawn from 12 districts of Southern Punjab. The anti-HCV antibody and HBsAg were performed with IDI-IND Diagnostic Inc. (Canada) one-step quick immunoassay technique. All the positive samples were also analysed by third generation ELISA. Only 9 individuals were vaccinated in the past for Hepatitis B and they were not included in the study. Of the 1821 samples tested during the mentioned period, 108 (5.9%) samples were finally declared positive for hepatitis B surface antigen and 46 (2.5%) positive for anti-HCV. Double infection with HBV and HCV was found in 17 (0.93%) samples.

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