A detailed report on the specific area based percentage and diagnostic methods of hepatitis C in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Authors
S. F. Ahmad 1
Z. Anwar 2
S. Hussain 3
M. Jehangir 4
I. Jehangir 5
A. Jamal 6
J. Z. K. Khattak 1
A. Ali Khan 7
1 Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Islamic International University Islamabad, Pakistan
2 Department of Virology and Immunology, NIH, Islamabad, Pakistan
3 Department of Bioinformatics, Capital University of Science & Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
4 Department of Bioinformatics, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Woman University, Peshawer, Pakistan
5 Department of Microbiology, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan
6 Department of Medicine, Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
7 Department of Biotechnology, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Lower Dir, Pakistan
Abstract
Background:
The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) varies tremendously in different parts of the world. This study reviews the percentage and molecular diagnosis of Hepatitis C in the persons from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan that visited to a particular laboratory.

Methods
: The method includes the diagnostic procedure steps by Real Time PCR. A Total numbers of 1050 Persons were screened during four months i.e. January-April, 2014. The collected data was evaluated for prevalence rate, age wise prevalence, gender wise prevalence and comparison of RT-PCR and ICT.
Results
: Overall percentage was 64.85 which is an overestimation of a true prevalence because of the specific sampling method applied to current study. Middle age persons were more affected. The percentage was higher in male (56.9) as compared to female (43.02). The RT-PCR diagnostic test was found to be more sensitive for the detection of HCV comparative to ICT.
Conclusion
: It is recommended that government should establish such laboratories equipped with RT-PCR for timely and accurate detection of HCV. Moreover, awareness programs are required to decrease the burden of HCV in the Pakistani population.
Molecular and Biochemical Diagnosis Journal
Volume 2, Issue 1
March 2016
Pages 51-64