The Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Among Thalassemia Patients referred to Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Abadan, Iran

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as a serious medical issue is one of the most important pathogens of the human. Youngsters with thalassemia who get blood transfusions are endangered with a high risk of HCV contamination. Objective: This review intended to study the predominance of HCV among thalassemia patients in Abadan, Khuzestan, in the south-west of Iran. Materials and Methods: For this study, a specific questionnaire on demographic information (age, number of blood transfusions) was completed by trained personnel based on acquired information from patient records, and also blood samples were taken at the same time in order to check the presence and level of anti-HCV antibodies. Results: As a result, it was shown that from 179 patients 20 (11.17%) were positive for anti-HCV antibodies. Conclusion: The HCV infection is an illness which influences extensive number of thalassemia patients in the world. The Lack of knowledge about blood safety and HCV infection as the most predominant illness transmitted with contaminated blood in thalassemia patients is a major threat to public health in a group of countries including Iran and the data are mostly obtained from provinces of Iran. The prevalence of HCV infection in patients with thalassemia who live in Khuzestan province is less than that in other provinces of Iran and also neighbour countries; and researchers should pay attention to hepatitis C infection in order to prevent thalassemia cases.