Surveillance system for HCV infection: testing a model based on blood banks.

Developing a National surveillance system for hepatitis C virus infection could provide a reasonable tool for reflecting changes in the trend of the disease in the Egyptian community. The aim of the study is to develop a national sentinel surveillance system, based on blood banks, by measuring the prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody in the sera of blood donors. The results were compared with that of the National community-based survey (NS) of the year 1997 from the areas surrounding the blood banks by age-standardized methods.