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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 28, 2014; 20(36): 12734-12752
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i36.12734
Potential for human immunodeficiency virus parenteral transmission in the Middle East and North Africa: An analysis using hepatitis C virus as a proxy biomarker
Yousra A Mohamoud, F DeWolfe Miller, Laith J Abu-Raddad
Yousra A Mohamoud, Laith J Abu-Raddad, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medical College - Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar
F DeWolfe Miller, Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, United States
Laith J Abu-Raddad, Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 11213, United States
Laith J Abu-Raddad, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, United States
Author contributions: Mohamoud YA and Abu-Raddad LJ conducted the literature review and data retrieval; Mohamoud YA conducted analysis and wrote the first draft of the paper; Miller FD contributed to the analysis and drafting of the article; Abu-Raddad LJ conceived and led the design of the study, analysis, and drafting of the article; all authors contributed to discussion of the results and writing of the manuscript.
Supported by NPRP grant from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation), No. NPRP 04-924-3-251; and the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Biomathematics Research Core at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Correspondence to: Laith J Abu-Raddad, PhD, Associate Professor, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medical College - Qatar, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar. lja2002@qatar-med.cornell.edu
Telephone: +974-44-928321 Fax: +974-44-928333
Received: December 12, 2013
Revised: February 20, 2014
Accepted: May 28, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Core Tip

Core tip: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed several major events of parenterally transmitted infections. Recent studies of hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemiology established the utility of using HCV as a proxy biomarker for assessing the potential for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) parenteral transmission. Building on these novel ideas, we used HCV antibody prevalence data to assess the potential for substantial and/or sustainable HIV parenteral transmission in MENA. We found that HCV prevalence levels are consistent with limited potential for parenteral HIV transmission, but that there could be still opportunities for localized and isolated HIV outbreaks, particularly in formal and informal healthcare settings.