الفهرس 
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Abstract
Chronic hepatitis C is the most common cause of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and the most common indication for liver transplantation in developed countries Globally, an estimated 170 million persons, 3% of the world’s population, are chronically infected with HCV and are at risk of developing liver cirrhosis and/or liver cancer, whereas 3 to 4 million persons are newly infected each year. Gaps in knowledge relating to the epidemiology, transmission routes and disease burden of hepatitis C warrant global surveillance of the disease, in order to determine specific health care measures for prevention and control.
The population of Egypt has a heavy burden of liver disease mostly due to chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Overall prevalence of antibody to HCV in the general population is around 15-20
%. It is estimated that approximately seven million people in Egypt have been infected with HCV of which 5.0 million may suffer from chronic HCV infection.
HCV infection is more common in males than females and among rural individuals when compared to urban individuals.
Assays which detect HCV antibodies have been available since 1989 and are currently the standard tools for screening blood and organ donations as well as diagnostic testing. Antibody prevalence in blood donors ranged from 6%-38% and averaged approximately 15 %.Serologic surveys at state and local levels can characterize regional and local variations in prevalence of HCV infection, identify populations at high risk, monitor trends, and evaluate prevention programs.
However these surveys are costly and time consuming. A surveillance system can be used to determine the prevalence/incidence of a given disease, and the changes over time, in a certain population group(sentinel group). To be effective, sentinel surveillance should rely on data already collected as part of the existing health care system. In Egypt blood donations are systematically tested for HCV antibodies. Data obtained from blood donors may therefore be used to estimate HCV prevalence in the general population, and to monitor its changes over time.
This is a cross sectional study included (1000) subjects aged from 18 years to 60 years from different areas and places at Menofiya governorate in the period between January 2012 and December 2012.
They included 566 males (56.6%) and 434 females (43.4%).; their age ranged from 18 to 60 years Mean age was (37.5 ± 11.5) years.
Aim of the work is to identify the prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in population of Menofiya governorate The overall prevalence of HCV antibody seropositivity in the studied subjects is 19%
Prevalence rate increases with age (5 % for that of less than 40years and 37% for that of more than 40 years).