Review
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2009; 15(45): 5647-5653
Published online Dec 7, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.5647
Hepatitis C virus in Pakistan: A systematic review of prevalence, genotypes and risk factors
Yasir Waheed, Talha Shafi, Sher Zaman Safi, Ishtiaq Qadri
Yasir Waheed, Talha Shafi, Sher Zaman Safi, Ishtiaq Qadri, NUST Center of Virology and Immunology, National University of Sciences & Technology, Sector H-12 Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Author contributions: Qadri I and Waheed Y designed the study; Waheed Y, Shafi T and Safi SZ participated in data extraction and analysis; Waheed Y wrote the manuscript; Waheed Y, Shafi T and Safi SZ did all the work under the supervision of Qadri I.
Supported by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Grant No. 829, and Pak-US Science and Technology Cooperative Program, entitled “HCV management in Pakistan”
Correspondence to: Yasir Waheed, Research Officer and PhD scholar, NUST Center of Virology and Immunology, National University of Sciences & Technology, Sector H-12 Islamabad 44000, Pakistan. yasir_waheed_199@hotmail.com
Telephone: +92-300-5338171 Fax: +92-51-9271593
Received: June 30, 2009
Revised: July 31, 2009
Accepted: August 7, 2009
Published online: December 7, 2009
Abstract

In Pakistan more than 10 million people are living with Hepatitis C virus (HCV), with high morbidity and mortality. This article reviews the prevalence, genotypes and factors associated with HCV infection in the Pakistani population. A literature search was performed by using the keywords; HCV prevalence, genotypes and risk factors in a Pakistani population, in Pubmed, PakMediNet and Google scholar. Ninety-one different studies dating from 1994 to May 2009 were included in this study, and weighted mean and standard error of each population group was calculated. Percentage prevalence of HCV was 4.95% ± 0.53% in the general adult population, 1.72% ± 0.24% in the pediatric population and 3.64% ± 0.31% in a young population applying for recruitment, whereas a very high 57% ± 17.7% prevalence was observed in injecting drug users and 48.67% ± 1.75% in a multi-transfused population. Most prevalent genotype of HCV was 3a. HCV prevalence was moderate in the general population but very high in injecting drug users and multi-transfused populations. This data suggests that the major contributing factors towards increased HCV prevalence include unchecked blood transfusions and reuse of injection syringes. Awareness programs are required to decrease the future burden of HCV in the Pakistani population.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus; Prevalence; Genotypes; Blood transfusions; Injections