Identification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes in infected patients from the west of Mexico

Information about genotypes and associated risk factors in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients in Latin America is limited. The aim of this study was to identify the HCV genotypes and associated risk factors in a group of HCV infected patients from the west of Mexico. Genotyping analysis was performed in 90 patients with positive anti-HCV and HCV-RNA. Genotypes 1 and 2 were found in 61 (67.8%) and 28 (31.1%) patients, respectively, and one with 4c/d genotype (1.1%). The most frequent HCV genotype was la (42.2%), followed by 1b (21.1%) and 2a/c (20%). Coinfection was present in 6.6% in a similar population with genotypes 1a and 1b or with 2a/c and 2b. The most frequent associated risk factor was blood transfusion in 57.8% of cases. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the risk factors analyzed and the acquisition of HCV infection