Knowledge on the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has implicit significance for the diagnosis, duration and treatment response of infected patients, as some genotypes are more responsive to therapy than others. In this paper, an examination of the possible association of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes with demographic and risk factors for transmission was described. The study utilized routinely collected data of all persons diagnosed with HCV in Scotland and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze genetic variability. The genotype variation was roughly distributed among genotypes 1 (45.6%) and 3 (47.9%), though genotype 2 (5.6%) and ‘other’ genotypes (0.89%) were also present. Furthermore, age less than 34 years, year of diagnosis between 2004 and 2008, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Grampian, Lanarkshire and Lothian Health boards were sufficient to predict HCV status in Scotland, with Injecting Drug Use (IDU) behaviour being the most prevalent risk factor. These results will assist in the management of HCV infection in Scotland.

 

Key words: Epidemiology, genotypes, hepatitis C virus, risk factor, Scotland.