2017 年 58 巻 5 号 p. 307-309
The distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype was investigated based on patient's birth year in 405 HCV-infected patients in a city hospital in Mito, Japan. The proportion of HCV genotype 1b (HCV-1b) decreased gradually and became <50% in patients born after 1960. Among 174 patients who were assumed to have contracted HCV infection during 1952-2005, 90 (71%) of 127 patients with a history of blood transfusion/surgery had HCV-1b. Notably, in patients with intravenous drug use (IVDU) or piercing, dominant HCV genotype changed from 1b (67%, 8/12) to 2a/2b (86%, 12/14) after 1980. Despite the virtually null risk of transfusion-transmitted HCV infection, residual risk of HCV infections via non-iatrogenic routes such as IVDU and piercing should continuously be surveyed.