Endemic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in a Seaboard Village of Southwestern Taiwan

本研究目的在調查位元於台灣西南沿海村落—馬沙溝感染C型肝炎之盛行率及其可能之危險因子。從馬沙溝之20歲至64歲居民共1200位中，藉由性別與年齡分層抽樣選出240位研究對象，並以第三代C型肝炎抗體免疫檢驗試劑，檢驗240位居民C型肝炎抗體，陽性者152位及陰性者88位。以結構式意問卷透過受訓訪員晤談，以收集C型肝炎傳染之相關危險因子。C型肝炎感染以年齡標準化呈現盛行率，進一步採邏輯複迴歸分析該地區傳染C型肝炎之危險因子。研究結果顯示馬沙溝C型肝炎年齡標準化盛行率高達55.8%，明顯高於台灣C型肝炎平均盛行率。以邏輯迴歸模式調整年齡後，此村居民有打針經驗者傳染到C型肝炎的危險性是無此經驗者的1.9倍(95CI:1.2~3.9)。根據本研究結果可知，馬沙溝之C型肝炎傳染乃屬地區性流行，其途徑可能經居民在尋求醫療性打針時而傳染。建議針對此傳染源之相關途徑與危險因子，透過社區公衛護士提出並推動完善的C型肝炎防治計劃，期望有效中斷該村C型肝炎傳染之流行。

關鍵字

地區性流行； C型肝炎病毒；傳染

並列摘要

This study investigated the rate of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection and identified the risk factors associated with a HCV infection at Ma-Sha-Gou, a sea board village in south west ern Taiwan. In total, 240 subjects were sampled and stratified according to age and sex from 1,200 residents aged 20~64 years old. HCV-specific antibodies (anti-HCV Ab) in blood specimens were tested for HCV seropositive by the third-generation HCV ELISA sys tem. The subjects, later identified as 152 seroposi tive and 88 seronegative, were selected for analysis of the correlates of HCV infection. They were interviewed to explore a variety of possible risk factors for HCV infection with a structured questionnaire. The results showed that the anti-HCV age-adjusted seroprevalence was 55.8%. Needle injection was significant to the increased anti-HCV seroprevalence, with multivariate age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) of 1.9 and 1.2~3.9 respectively. This study identifies Ma-Sha-Gou as an endemic area of HCV infection, in which needle injection from any medical activity was a possible transmission path way in the village, and suggests the health authorities/community health nurses should give the residents a comprehensive community-based education program to interrupt HCV transmission.

並列關鍵字

endemic ； hepatitis C virus ； infection

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