Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: May | Volume: 8 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 19-23
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20210504
A Study on HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C among Dental Patients Screened from Different Districts of Kashmir Valley
Sonia Gupta1, Suheel Hamid Latoo2
1Tutor, 2Associate Professor, Department of Oral Pathology, Govt. Dental College & Hospital, Srinagar
Corresponding Author: Sonia Gupta
ABSTRACT
Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most common chronic viral infections worldwide. They are blood borne infections and share common routes of transmission, but they differ in efficiency by which certain types of exposures transmit them and their prevalence by geographic region.
Aims and objective: To evaluate the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in patients screened from different districts, to increase the awareness among dental practitioners and the patients attending dental clinics as well as to evaluate the risk factors for infection with these viruses in order to reduce the burden of these diseases in the community.
Materials and method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 2150 subjects (1230 males and 920 females) reported in the Department of Oral Pathology, GDC & H Srinagar for routine serological investigations. All the screened patients referred from different departments of this institution were enrolled.
Results: The prevalence of HBV and HCV among dental patients was 0.65% and 0.51% respectively but HIV positive cases had not been reported. In the present study, majority of the HBV positive cases were from Anantnag district and most common risk factors for infections were dental treatment and blood transfusion.
Conclusion: Prevention is an important aspect in controlling the spread of this viral infection as an epidemic. Hence, control programs for the prevention of these diseases that threaten public health must be planned and implemented.
Keywords: Hepatitis B, HIV, Seroprevalence, Dental treatment, Transmission, Prevention.