Dataset Information

Risky exposures and national estimate of HCV seroprevalence among school children in urban Egypt.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world, particularly in Egypt. Limited data are available concerning the national seroprevalence and the possible modes of transmission of HCV in the pediatric age group. The aim of this study was to obtain a better estimate of the national hepatitis C seroprevalence and the possible risky exposures among healthy school children in Alexandria; the second biggest city in Egypt. HCV knowledge and counseling for school children were also investigated. A total of 500 school children, age between 6 and 15 years were evaluated for HCV seropositivity and interviewed for potential disease risk factors. The seropositivity for Anti-HCV Ab was 2.8 %. About 71.4 % of seropositive children were 10-15 years old. Urban residence, chronic disease, male circumcision and invasive procedures were detected as significant risk factors for acquiring HCV infection among the studied children. The level of awareness of hepatitis C among school children was very low (3.6 %) and was correlated with the age and educational level. HCV infection continues to occur in children and is frequently unrecognized. This mandates immediate intervention and robust control strategies in the settings of exposure combined with health education programs to limit further HCV spread.

SUBMITTER: Abd El-Wahab EW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5142596 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Risky exposures and national estimate of HCV seroprevalence among school children in urban Egypt.

Abd El-Wahab Ekram W EW Abdel Maksoud Ahmed A Shatat Hanan Z HZ Kotkat Amira M AM

Virusdisease 20160912 4

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world, particularly in Egypt. Limited data are available concerning the national seroprevalence and the possible modes of transmission of HCV in the pediatric age group. The aim of this study was to obtain a better estimate of the national hepatitis C seroprevalence and the possible risky exposures among healthy school children in Alexandria; the second biggest city in Egypt. HCV knowledge and counseling for s ...[more]

PMID: 28004014

Similar Datasets

Project description:The benefits of schools' closure, used as a containment strategy by many European countries, must be carefully considered against the adverse effects of child wellbeing. In this study, we assessed SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence, which better estimates the real extent of the infection unraveling asymptomatic cases, among schoolchildren aged 3 to 18 in Milan, using dried blood spot, a safe and extremely viable methods for children, and then compared it between September 2020 and January 2021. Secondly, we evaluated the seroconversion rate and compared it between students attending schools in presence and those switched to distance-learning, using a logistic regression model, both as univariate and multivariate, adjusting for age and biological-sex. Among 1109 pupils, we found a seroprevalence of 2.8% in September before school reopening, while in January 2021, the seropositive rate was 12.5%, reflecting the general growth rate of infections during the second pandemic wave. The overall seroconversion rate was 10%, with no differences based on biological-sex and age groups; we observed no seroreversion. When considered age groups, the seroconversion rate was 10.5% (95%Confidence Interval, 2.9-24.8) among children attending preschools, 10.6% (95%Confidence Interval, 8.2-13.4) for primary schools, 9.9% (95%Confidence Interval, 6.8-13.8) for secondary schools, and 7.8% (95%Confidence Interval, 4-13.2) among high-school students. Interestingly, no differences in seroconversion rate were found between students who attended school compared to those who started remote learning in the first days of November. Furthermore, most patients (61%) reported that the contact occurred within the household. We reported a low seroconversion rate among school children in Milan, with no differences between those who attended from September 2020 to January 2021 compared to those who switched to remote learning in the first days of November. Our data suggest that schools do not amplify SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but rather reflect the level of the transmission in the community.

Project description:BackgroundThe key metric for monitoring the progress of deworming programs in controlling soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is national drug coverage reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). There is increased interest in utilizing geographically-disaggregated data to estimate sub-national deworming coverage and equity, as well as gender parity. The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) offer a potential source of sub-national data. This study aimed to compare deworming coverage routinely reported to WHO and estimated by DHS in pre-school aged children to inform global STH measurement and evaluation.MethodologyWe compared sub-national deworming coverage in pre-school aged children reported to WHO and estimated by DHS aligned geospatially and temporally. We included data from Burundi (2016-2017), Myanmar (2015-2016), and the Philippines (2017) based on data availability. WHO provided data on the date and sub-national coverage per mass drug administration reported by Ministries of Health. DHS included maternally-reported deworming status within the past 6 months for each child surveyed. We estimated differences in sub-national deworming coverage using WHO and DHS data, and performed sensitivity analyses.Principal findingsWe compared data on pre-school aged children from 13 of 18 districts in Burundi (N = 6,835 in DHS), 11 of 15 districts in Myanmar (N = 1,462 in DHS) and 16 of 17 districts in the Philippines (N = 7,594 in DHS) following data exclusion. The national deworming coverages estimated by DHS in Burundi, Myanmar, and the Philippines were 75.5% (95% CI: 73.7%-77.7%), 47.0% (95% CI: 42.7%-51.3%), and 48.0% (95% CI: 46.0%-50.0%), respectively. The national deworming coverages reported by WHO in Burundi, Myanmar, and the Philippines were 80.1%, 93.6% and 75.7%, respectively. The mean absolute differences in district-level coverage reported to WHO and estimated by DHS in Burundi, Myanmar, and the Philippines were 9.5%, 41.5%, and 24.6%, respectively. Across countries, coverage reported to WHO was frequently higher than DHS estimates (32 of 40 districts). National deworming coverage from DHS estimates were similar by gender within countries.Conclusions and significanceAgreement of deworming coverage reported to WHO and estimated by DHS data was heterogeneous across countries, varying from broadly compatible in Burundi to largely discrepant in Myanmar. DHS data could complement deworming data reported to WHO to improve data monitoring practices and serve as an independent sub-national source of coverage data.

Project description:ImportanceQuebec prioritized in-person learning after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with school closures being implemented temporarily in selected schools or in hot-spot areas. Quebec's decision to keep most schools open was controversial, especially in Montreal, which was the epicenter of Canada's first and second waves; therefore, understanding the extent to which children were infected with SARS-CoV-2 provides important information for decisions about school closures.ObjectiveTo estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children and teenagers in 4 neighborhoods of Montreal, Canada.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study (the Enfants et COVID-19: Étude de séroprévalence [EnCORE] study) enrolled a convenience sample of children aged 2 to 17 years between October 22, 2020, and March 22, 2021, in Montreal, Canada.ExposuresPotential exposure to SARS-CoV-2.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcome was seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, collected using dried blood spots (DBSs) and analyzed with a research-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Parents also completed an online questionnaire that included questions on self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and tests, along with sociodemographic questions.ResultsThis study included 1632 participants who provided a DBS sample from 30 day cares, 22 primary schools, and 11 secondary schools. The mean (SD) age of the children who provided a DBS sample was 9.0 (4.4) years; 801 (49%) were female individuals, with 354 participants (22%) from day cares, 725 (44%) from primary schools, and 553 (34%) from secondary schools. Most parents had at least a bachelor's degree (1228 [75%]), and 210 (13%) self-identified as being a racial or ethnic minority. The mean seroprevalence was 5.8% (95% CI, 4.6%-7.0%) but increased over time from 3.2% (95% CI, 0.7%-5.8%) in October to November 2020 to 8.4% (95% CI, 4.4%-12.4%) in March to April 2021. Of the 95 children with positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody results, 78 (82%) were not tested or tested negative with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, and all experienced mild (49 [52%]) or no clinical symptoms (46 [48%]). The children of parents who self-identified as belonging to a racial and ethnic minority group were more likely to be seropositive compared with children of White parents (adjusted seroprevalence ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-2.6).Conclusions and relevanceThese results provide a benchmark of the seroprevalence status in Canadian children. The findings suggest that there was more transmission occurring in children compared with what was being detected by RT-PCR, although children experienced few or mild symptoms. It will be important to continue monitoring the serological status of children, particularly in the context of new COVID-19 variants of concern and in the absence of mass vaccination campaigns targeting young children.

Dataset Information

Risky exposures and national estimate of HCV seroprevalence among school children in urban Egypt.

Publications

Risky exposures and national estimate of HCV seroprevalence among school children in urban Egypt.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure