Spanish 
Chinese 
Russian 
German 
French 
Japanese 
Portuguese 
Hindi Research Article
Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies among Municipal Solid Waste Collectors in Mansoura, Egypt
Abdel-Hady El-Gilany1*, Hala Samir Abou-ElWafa1, SohairFouad El-Bestar1 and Maysaa El-Sayed Zaki21Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
2Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
- *Corresponding Author:
- Abdel-Hady El-Gilany
Professor of Public Health
Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University
Mansoura 35516, Egypt
Fax: +20(50)2263717
E-mail: ahgilany@gmail.com
Received date: August 07, 2013; Accepted date: October 07, 2013; Published date: October 20, 2013
Citation: El-Gilany AH, Abou-ElWafa HS, El-Bestar SF, El-Sayed Zaki M (2013) Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies among Municipal Solid Waste Collectors in Mansoura, Egypt. Occup Med Health Aff 1:133. doi: 10.4172/2329-6879.1000133
Copyright: © 2013 El-Gilany AH, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and the associated risk factors among municipal solid waste (MSW) collectors. Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted upon MSW collectors (n=120) working in the Western Municipality of Mansoura city, Egypt. The collectors were interviewed to collect socio-demographic and occupational data, use of personal protective measures and different risk factors for exposure to infected blood. Blood specimens were collected and tested for HCV antibodies using ELISA technique. Results: A high prevalence (43.3%) of HCV antibodies was found among MSW collectors. The older age and the longer duration of employment of collectors were statistically significant demographic variables for HCV antibodies sero-positivity. Logistic regression analysis showed that the shorter duration of employment as waste collector was independently associated with lower likelihood of HCV antibodies seropositivity (OR = 0.3). Conclusion: MSW collectors are at increased risk for HCV infection. MSW collectors should be provided with the necessary protective measures, education and training programs, and routine medical check-up should be implemented and maintained, to keep them safe and secure.
