AURANGABAD:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection which is an important pathogen
causing liver disease is becoming a major public health problem, with an
estimated 25% to 40% prevalence in India. Raising concern over the
issue, experts said patients on multiple blood transfusions have a high
risk for HCV due to the involvement of multiple routes of infections,
especially poor blood screening of blood and low standard of dialysis
procedures.
They were speaking at a workshop at Dattaji Bhale
blood bank, organised by the Aurangabad Thalassemia Society to create
awareness about thalassemia on Friday.
Mahendrasingh H Chauhan,
medical director and in charge of the blood bank said that high
prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported among dialysis
patients throughout the world. Serious efforts need to be taken to
investigate HCV in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment who
are at great risk to HCV infection.
Read more... Labels: Epidemiology, hemodialysis, India, thalassemia