![]() Average temperatures are typically between 25☌-28☌ in the city. Temperatures throughout the year in the city is relatively constant, showing little variation throughout the course of the year. December on average is the driest month of the year with an average rainfall of 20 mm. Port Harcourt city lies on the longitude 7° East of Greenwich meridians and latitude 4☇5' North of the Equator.Port Harcourt's heaviest precipitation occurs during September with an average of 370 mm of rain. Port Harcourt is the capital city of Rivers State, also known as the Garden City is located in the forest zone of south southern Nigeria. Lulu-Briggs Medical Health Centre Abuja Campus, University of Port Harcourt Choba, located at the municipal area of Port Harcourt. This study reports carried out to detect the presence or absence of anti-HCV antibody among fresh undergraduate students in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The detection of anti-HCV antibodies in plasma or serum is based on serological tests especially the use of enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) or Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent assays (ELISA) which are now commercially available and molecular (PCR being used to determine the extent of the virus variation). HCV replicates mainly in hepatocytes, but its nucleic acids have also been found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in central nervous system cells. However, it is generally accepted that next to virological factors innate and adaptive immune responses play an important role in both, control of HCV infection and as disease pathogenesis. The factors that determine the outcome and natural course of HCV infection are not completely understood. The risk of perinatal and of heterosexual transmission is low, while recent data indicate that promiscuous male homosexual activity is related to HCV infection. Parenteral transmission via tattooing or acupuncture with unsafe materials is also implicated in occasional transmissions. Currently, new HCV infections are primarily due to intravenous or nasal drug use, and to a lesser degree to unsafe medical or surgical procedures. Majority of persons with chronic HCV infections are asymptomatic. About 75%-85% of infected older adults and 50-60% of infected Juveniles or young adults become chronically infected. Among HCV infected persons only 20-30% has symptoms of acute hepatitis. Prevalence of 1.7% was reported from America, 1.03% from Europe, 3.9% from the Western Pacific, 4.6% from the Eastern Mediterranean, 2.15% from South Asia and 5.3% from Africa. Slightly different prevalence was reported from different regions of the world. Approximately 170 million people worldwide who are about 3-4% of the world population are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus who are at risk of developing liver cirrhosis, cancer or both has been shown to have a worldwide distribution, occurring among persons of all ages, genders, races and regions of the world. HCV infections are known to occur in the general population. After its discovery and characterization by Choo et al, hepatitis C Virus has remained a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and the main reason for liver transplantation in the western world. Introduction Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver while viral hepatitis is a conventional term used to denote hepatitis caused by the hepatotrophic viruses (hepatitis A-G). Further studies on a larger scale is advocated for the generation of data and the use of rapid test kit should be used in conjunction with other immunoassay particularly Elisa technique are therefore recommended.ġ. This study however, revealed the absence of this infection among the fresh undergraduate students population in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. ![]() The prevalence rate of HCV antibody was the same among males and their female counterparts with the rate of 0.0%. Also age groups 16–20 years, 21–25 years, and 26 years and above had the same prevalence rate of 0.0%. San Diego, USA) in a stepwise order for the detection of anti-HCV antibodies. Plasma samples from the subjects were tested for the presence of antibodies to HCV using Global® HCV-Ab kit (Global Diagnostics, USA)and ACON HCV-Ab kit (ACON Laboratories, Inc. ![]() ![]() The subjects included in this study were 200 males and females of ages between 16–20 years, 21–25 years, and 26 years and above. ![]()
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