Hepatitis C, a silent threat to the community of Haryana, India: a community-based study

Background Hepatitis C is a global public health problem. About 12 million persons may be chronically infected in India and most do not know that they are infected. Aims To found out real situation of hepatitis C in Ratia block, district Fatehabad (Haryana). Method This cross sectional study was carried out by house to house visits in 2 weeks time. After obtaining the written consent, blood sample was drawn from suspected case by the laboratory technician maintaining all necessary safety precautions and sterilization. Results 1630 (22.3%) samples were found to be positive for Hepatitis-C by ELISA while 253 (15.5%) patients were previously hepatitis C positive and maximally adults (21–60 years) were affected (70.0%). Conclusion The study emphasizes on public awareness campaigns, where HCV exposure is prevalent i.e. at the health care providers and patient level