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Viral hepatitis in the Canadian Inuit and First Nations populations

Gerald Y Minuk1, J Uhanova

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. gminuk@cc.umanitoba.ca

Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology = Journal Canadien De Gastroenterologie
|December 18, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Viral hepatitis, including hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV), and C (HCV), is common in Canadian Inuit and First Nations. Outcomes for HBV and HCV appear more benign in these populations compared to non-Aboriginal Canadians when HIV and alcohol abuse are absent.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Viral hepatitis, specifically hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV), and C (HCV), represents a significant public health concern.
  • Indigenous populations in Canada, including Inuit and First Nations, may experience disproportionately high rates of infectious diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and synthesize published prevalence data for HAV, HBV, and HCV infections.
  • To compare the prevalence of these viral hepatitis infections in Canadian Inuit and First Nations populations against non-Aboriginal Canadians.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed database.
  • Reviewed all identified papers reporting data from seroepidemiological surveys in the target populations.

Main Results:

  • High prevalence of anti-HAV positivity (75%-95%) in Inuit and First Nations, three times higher than non-Aboriginals.
  • HBV infection prevalence is approximately 5% in Inuit (20x non-Aboriginals), with lower rates in First Nations similar to non-Aboriginals.
  • HCV infection (anti-HCV) is more common in Inuit and First Nations (1%-18%) than non-Aboriginals (0.5%-2%), though viremia (HCV-RNA) is less frequent.

Conclusions:

  • Viral hepatitis is highly prevalent among Canadian Inuit and First Nations populations.
  • HBV and HCV infections appear to have more favorable outcomes in these populations when co-infections (HIV) and alcohol abuse are absent.
Abstract

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