Abstract

PREVALENCE OF VIRAL HEPATITIS AMONG POPULATION OF AL-QUWAYIYAH GOVERNORATE, SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

This study showed the prevalence rate of viral hepatitis at Al- Quwayiyah Governorate by collecting data from blood samples taken during the year of 2012 (1432 Hijri) at Al-Quwayiyah general hospital. The study categorized the data into male/female and Saudi/non-Saudi patients. Among 2400 tested samples, 2.12% of potential patients were hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive, where 84.3% belong to Saudi patients and 80.4% belong to male patients. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) showed a slightly higher prevalence of 2.37%, where 59.6% belong to Saudi patients and 73.7% belong to male patients. Hepatitis A virus was not tested in the hospital. Such data revealed the dramatic decline in prevalence rates for viral hepatitis over the past two to three decades due to the significant improvement in the levels of personal and public hygiene and in the proportions of the Saudi population.

Keywords: Al-Quwayiyah Governorate, HBV, HCV, Prevalence rate.