This study shows a very low prevalence of infection with hepatitis C virus in populations at risk for acquiring the infection, and considered that this infection is not a public health problem in these populations in Maracaibo, Venezuela.

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Over a two year period, the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was evaluated in 29 hemodialysis patients, aged between 15 and 75 years (mean ± SD: 45 ± 39.5 years), from the University Hospital Hemodyalisis Unit, Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela. Anti-HCV antibodies were determined using a fourth generation ELISA (Innotest HCV Ab IV) kit and positive blood samples were tested using a recombinant assay kit (Inno-LIA HCV Ab III), both kits from Innogenetics N.V., Belgium. The findings indicate a lack of HCV seroconversion in the hemodialysis patients over the study period, confirmed by the recombinant assay. Risk factors for HCV infection were 0.3270 (95% confidence interval: 0.01323-8.080) in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The findings suggest a lack of significant sources for HCV infection due to the preventive measures to avoid its transmission in the hemodialysis unit.

Introduction: The dramatic increase in the prevalence and clinical impact of infections caused by Carbapenemase-Producing Bacteria in the nosocomial setting in Latin America represents an emerging challenge to public health. The present study detected carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria in patients from a Hospital from Venezuela, by phenotypic and genotypic methods. Methodology: The bacterial identification was carried out using conventional methods. The resistance to carbapenems was performed by Kirby-Baüer disk diffusion method, according to CLSI recommendations. The modified Hodge Test, double-disk with phenylboronic acid, double-disk with EDTA and Blue Carba Test were performed to detect phenotypic carbapenemase producers. The carbapenemase-encoding genes blaKPC, blaVIM, blaIMP, blaOXA-2, blaOXA-3, blaOXA-15 and blaOXA-21 were determined. Results: The bacterial species identified were Klebsiella pneumoniae complex (181), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (51), and Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (119). KPC-type was detected in 40.17% of isolates and VIM-type in 14.53%. KPC-type gene was only identified in K. pneumoniae isolates (77.9%). VIM-type gene was identified in P. aeruginosa (86.27%) and K. pneumoniae isolates (3.87%). There was not detection of IMP-type and OXA-type genes. Conclusions: We found a predominance of K. pneumoniae KPC producers and a high rate of VIM-producing P. aeruginosa. The epidemiology of CPB in Venezuela is rapidly evolving, and enhanced surveillance and reporting are needed across the healthcare continuum.