HCV/HIV coinfection in central Argentina: prevalence, genotype characterization and risk factors.

RÉ V; GALLEGO, S; FARÍAS, A; BARBÁS, G; KREMER, L; DÍAZ M.P; ELBARCHA O; ORSILLES, M; CONTIGIANI, M.

Campos de Jordao, Brasil

Congreso; XVII Encuentro Nacional de Virología; 2006

Sociedad Brasilera de Virologia

Here we present data from a study carried out in order to gain insight into the molecular epidemiology and risk factors for HCV infection in HIV-infected population in Cordoba (second most populated inland province of Argentina). The results are very important in order to gain a better understanding of the public health issues in our region. Prevalence of HCV/HIV coinfection was 12.6% (39/310). We detected presence of HCV RNA in 97.4% of the seropositive samples (38/39). HCV genotype distribution ¡s shown in figure 1. The multiple logistic regression analysis shown that gender (adjusted OR=1.326, CI(95%): [1.086,  2.609]), age (OR=2.562, CI(95%): [2.445,  2.691]), injection drug usage (OR=25.0, CI(95%): [6.2, 100.1]) and tattooing (OR=25.6, CI(95%): [4.2, 154.6]) were risk factors for HCV infection. Prevalence of HCV/HIV coinfection was high (12.3%). IVDU were the main independent risk factor associated with HCV infection. However, the presence of HCV infection in absence of parenteral risk factor suggest  in certain cases (four individuals) an alternative route for viral transmission. The genotype distribution was clearly different from the one found among monoinfected (HCV) individuals in the same region, where we found an unexpected high prevalence of HCV genotype 2 (50%).