Browsing by Author Study group consist of 228 thalassaemic patients and 183 patients who undergo long-term haemodialysis. They were randomly recruited between 01 st January 2007 and 30 th April 2007. A sample of blood was collected from all the patients and tested for hepatitis C virus antibody with a third generation ELISA. Repeatedly reactive samples were subjected to RT -PCR for the detection of HCV RNA. Positive isolates were further tested to identify genotypes by nested RT-PCR using primers specific for genotypes 1 to iv results. Prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among thalassaemic patients and haemodialysis patients were 3.95 percent in 1.,09 percent respectively. HCV infection was detected in 45.45 percent of anti-HCV positive patients. There was a significant correlation between the antiHCV antibody prevalence and the number of blood transfusions or with the number of dialysis cycles. Appositive correlation was observed between past history of surgery and presence of anti-HCV antibodies. Anti HCV positivity was not associated with past history of jaundice. HCV genotypes 11 and non 1-iv were prevalent in these two multitran sfused patient cohorts
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