Prevalence Of anti-HCV Antibodies Research Articles

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus and Factors Associated with It in Armenia, 2021.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is among the leading causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Knowledge of its prevalence and risk factors can help to effectively fight the virus. This study was the first to investigate the seroprevalence of HCV, its genotypes, and factors associated with it among the general adult population of Armenia selected countrywide via cluster sampling. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected using third-generation immunoassay. Polymerase chain reaction and genotyping was performed among anti-HCV-positive individuals. Shortly after testing, the participants underwent a telephone survey. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with anti-HCV antibody positivity and chronic HCV infection. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among 3831 tested individuals was 2% (99% CI 1.4, 2.5), and chronic HCV infection was 0.7% (99% CI 0.4, 1.0), with genotypes 3 and 2 being the most common. The risk factors for chronic HCV infection included self-reported chronic liver disease (95% CI 1.47, 15.28), having tattoos (95% CI 1.34, 10.94), ever smoking (95% CI 1.16, 9.18), and testing positive for hepatitis B virus core antibody (95% CI 1.02, 7.17). These risk factors demonstrate that there could be room for strengthening infection control measures to prevent the transmission of HCV in Armenia.

Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection among People Living with HIV/AIDS Attending Specialist Hospital Sokoto, Nigeria

Study’s Novelty/Excerpt This study assesses HIV/HCV coinfection and associated risk factors among patients at Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, highlighting the seroprevalence of HCV among HIV/AIDS reactive individuals. The novelty lies in its detailed demographic analysis, revealing significant age, gender, tribal, educational, and occupational disparities, with a notably high seropositivity among people who inject drugs. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted HCV screening and intervention strategies in HIV/AIDS patients, particularly in demographic subgroups identified as having higher seroprevalence, to improve early diagnosis and management. Full Abstract The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a large healthcare burden. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and HCV coinfection are major global health concerns worldwide. This study aimed to assess the HIV/HCV coinfection and the potential risk factors among people attending Specialist Hospital, Sokoto. A cross-sectional seroprevalence survey of HCV infection was carried out on 77 HIV/AIDS reactive subjects attending Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, from 30th March 2021 to 4th May 2021. Serum samples were tested for anti-HCV antibodies using immunochromatographic test. Of the 77 study participants, the overall anti-HCV antibody prevalence was 5.2%. The 36-40 age group revealed the highest seropositivity of 18.18%, followed by 51-55 years (14.29%) and the least (11.11%) among 26-30 years. Females had the highest seropositivity of 6.25% and males least (3.45%). The highest seropositivity was seen among the Hausa tribe (7.14%), while the least in Fulani (5.56%). The highest seropositivity was recorded among people with no formal education (6.82%), while people with formal education had the least (5.88%). The highest seropositivity was seen in self-employed individuals (6.52%) regarding occupational status, while employed individuals had the least (4.17%). Married individuals had the highest seropositivity of 7.69%, while the divorced and widow/widower had 5.26% and 4.76% respectively. People who injected drugs recorded the highest seropositivity of 33.33%, with multiple sex partners at 6.90%, while people who shared sharp objects had the least (6.67%). There were no significant differences statistically in HCV seroprevalence among the different age categories, gender, tribe, education, occupation, marital and risk factors (p>0.05). The HCV prevalence rate (5.8%) observed in this study underscored the need to intensify HCV screening among people living with HIV/AIDS for early diagnosis and management of cases.

Dynamic changes in the prevalence of markers of hepatitis C virus infection among the conditionally healthy population of the Tyva Republic

The aim is to determine the dynamic changes in the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among various age groups of the conditionally healthy population of the Tyva Republic over the past 11 years.Material and methods. 1163 serum samples collected in 2019 from the healthy volunteers living in the Tyva Republic of were tested for HCV markers. The study included people of 10 age cohorts: less than 1 year, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 years, and 60 years or older. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected using commercially available enzyme immunoassay. HCV RNA was detected in anti-HCV positive samples by means of RT-PCR. The dynamic changes in HCV prevalence were assessed based on a comparison of the results with data of the seroservey of the same design conducted in this region in 2008 in similar age cohorts of healthy volunteers (n=910).Results and discussion. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among general population of the Tyva Republic in 2019 was 2.0%. This indicator slightly decreased by 1.7 times over 10 years (3.3% in 2008, p =0.1629). The prevalence of active HCV infection in the Tyva Republic also decreased not significantly (1.1% in 2019 vs. 1.3% in 2008, p = 0.6901). The proportion of people with active infection among anti-HCV positives in 2019 was 56.5%.The decrease in the prevalence of HCV infection over 11 years was associated with a significant reduction in the detection rates of hepatitis C markers in age cohort 40-49 years (0.9% in 2019 vs. 3.6% in 2008 for HCV RNA, p<0.05, and 1.8% in 2019 vs. 9.1% in 2008 for anti-HCV, p<0.05, respectively). The highest rates of detection of anti-HCV and HCV RNA were observed among participants aged 60 years and over (8.0% and 7.0%, respectively, in 2019 and 11.0 and 6.3%, respectively, in 2008), which significantly exceeded detection rates in other age groups, both in 2008 and 2019 (<0.05).Conclusion. A decrease in the prevalence of HCV infection in general population of the Tyva Republic was observed over last 11 years, primarily due to a decrease in the proportion of unidentified cases of infection among people aged 40-49 years. At the same time, the proportion of unidentified cases of HCV infection in persons aged 60 years and older remains consistently high, which is apparently due to insufficient screening coverage in this age cohort. This age-associated risk cohort should be benefited from the inclusion in HCV screening program.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus among Risk Groups in MosulCity

Cross sectional study of 200 blood donors and other risk groups were conducted in Mosul city. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was (5.5%). Anti-HCV positivity was found to be more common in male at the age group of < l0 years. History of blood transfusion was observed as a common risk factor related to anti-HCV positivity. History of past and present signs that are related to anti-HCV positive were, (72.7%) of cases were suffered front upper abdominal discomfort , (54.5%) of cases lvere suffered from jaundice, (54.5%) of cases u'ere suffered from loss of appetite, (27.2%) of cases were suffered from arthralgia, (18.1%) of cases w'ere suffered from skin rash.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with increased age in sub-Saharan Africa: Results from a cross-sectional comparative analysis

BackgroundSeveral epidemiological studies have established the association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the determinants and reasons for the high prevalence of HCV infection in people with T2DM are not well understood especially in sub-Saharan African populations. In this study, we aimed to assess determinants of the association between HCV infection and T2DM.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study amongst 442 T2DM patients recruited from an out-patient adult diabetes clinic in a tertiary hospital and 442 non-diabetic controls recruited from the general population. Serological testing for HCV antibody was performed using standard ELISA technique. Anti-HCV antibody prevalence was reported by age group in participants with diabetes and the non-diabetic controls. Logistic regression was used to examine for factors associated with the HCV infection in patients with diabetes.ResultsWe reported an overall HCV prevalence of 11.5% [95% CI: 9.4-13.6] irrespective of diabetes status in this study. The seroprevalence of HCV infection in diabetics patients was 17.6% [95% CI: 14.0-21.2] compared to 5.5% [95% CI: 3.4-7.6] in non-diabetics (p< 0.001). We did not find a significant HCV seropositivity difference in diabetic patients with common risk factors of HCV infection. When investigating the HCV seroprevalence by age group in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, no case of HCV infection was found in patients less than 30 years old while the highest HCV seropositivity was reported in patients older than 60 years (36.7% T2DM and 11.1% for non-diabetics) followed by the patients belonging to 50-59 years age group (16% in T2DM and 5.8% in non-diabetics) and those in 40-49 years age group (4.4% in diabetic, 0.8% in non-diabetic). To support this finding, in a multivariate logistic regression, only diabetic patients belonging to age group > 65 years had a significant risk (OR: 16.7 [95% CI: 1.7-160.0]) to acquire HCV infection.ConclusionThe seroprevalence of HCV infection is higher among T2DM adult patients than in non-diabetic patients, and is associated with increased age. This age-dependent association may suggest a generational exposure that may no longer exist overtime.

Prevalence of hepatitis B, C, and D virus infection in Haiti: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Viral hepatitis causes an important global health burden. In 2016, the World Health Assembly adopted an objective to globally eliminate this as a public health threat by 2030. However, significant gaps exist between countries in their progress. Haiti is the last country that has introduced infant hepatitis B vaccines into the routine immunization program in the Region of the Americas, and its schedule still does not incorporate birth dose vaccines. As the first step to raise awareness of viral hepatitis in this country, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis B (HBV), C (HCV), and D (HDV) viruses in Haiti. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus for studies reporting the prevalence of HBV, HCV and HDV among Haitian, with no language restriction, published until November 30th, 2021. Prevalence was pooled via a random-effects meta-analysis using a generalized linear mixed model with the logit link. Of 453 articles retrieved, 25 studies were included: 16 reported the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), three for anti-HCV antibody, and six for both HBsAg and anti-HCV. No study was found for HDV prevalence. The pooled prevalence of HBsAg was 0.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3-1.4, I 2 = 77.7%] among children, 3.5% (95% CI: 2.8-4.4, I 2 = 93.2%) in the general adult population and 7.4% (95% CI: 4.0-13.3, I 2 = 83.9%) in high-risk adult population. The pooled prevalence of anti-HCV antibody was 0.9% (95% CI: 0.6-1.4, I 2 = 93.5%) among the general population and 1.4% (95% CI: 0.4-4.2, I 2 = 0.0%) in high-risk adult population. No study reported the prevalence of anti-HCV antibody exclusively in children. The prevalence of blood-borne hepatitis, particularly that of HBV, is substantial in Haiti. The introduction of birth dose hepatitis B vaccines and improving access to testing and treatment services should be urgently considered to meet the elimination goal. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022298081, identifier: PROSPERO (CRD42022298081).

Evaluation of the prevalence of hepatitis C virus through rapid test in public health services users in Campina Grande-PB

Chronic hepatitis C is a silent evolution disease that can lead to outcomes such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a public health problem due to high universal morbidity. It is transmitted by single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus, discovered in 1989 through studies of contaminated chimpanzees. Unsafe health practices, use of illegal intravenous drugs and tattoos are among the major risk factors for the transmission of this virus. Currently, it is estimated that 71 million people are infected worldwide, in Brazil, the prevalence of 0.7% indicates that 1.032.000 individuals are contaminated. With quick execution and rapid results availability, Rapid Tests (RT) facilitate epidemiological studies and early diagnosis of hepatic impairment, allowing the modification of the natural history of the disease. To evaluate the presence of Anti-HCV antibodies and epidemiological characteristics of hepatitis C in users of health services in Campina Grande-PB. A prospective cross-sectional observational study, from February 2015 to July 2018. Individuals born between 1945 and 1970 who sought health services voluntarily underwent structured questionnaires and the Bioeasy® Rapid Anti-HCV Test. A total of 385 individuals were studied, with a prevalence of Anti-HCV antibodies of 1.84% (n = 7). Of the interviewees, the majority (29.7%) were in the age group between 45 and 50 years and 67.7% were female. Intravenous illicit drug use, tattooing and male sex presented the highest statistical relevance as a risk factor in the study population. A prevalence higher than that estimated for the country was found, which highlights the need to implement strategies aimed at the early detection of virus carriers.

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in North Korean Defectors Residing in Korea.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and identify the demographic, and sociological characteristics and changes in awareness of HCV infection by participating the study for North Korean defectors residing in South Korea. This study prospectively enrolled participants. Demographic, sociological and clinical data, and questionnaire surveys focused on awareness of HCV infection were collected. In total, 211 North Korean defectors participated in this study from September 2020 until June 2021. There were 174 women (82.5%), and the overall mean age was 48.9 years (range, 20 to 80 years). Of these participants, 112 (53.1%) had immigrated to South Korea since 2011. The overall prevalence of anti-HCV antibody among North Korean defectors was 1.9%. Thirty participants (14.2%) had hepatitis B surface antigens. A huge lack of awareness regarding HCV infection has been observed among North Korean defectors. This is the first prospective study to investigate the prevalence rate of HCV infection among North Korean defectors residing in South Korea. As North Korean defectors are a vulnerable group concerning HCV infection, they may benefit from HCV screening policies and educational interventions for HCV infection.

National Hepatitis C estimates: Incidence, prevalence, undiagnosed proportion and treatment, Canada, 2019.

Estimates of the number of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are important for monitoring efforts aimed at preventing disease transmission, especially following the introduction of a highly effective treatment. This report provides updated estimates of HCV incidence, prevalence, undiagnosed proportion and treatment in Canada. A combination of back calculation modelling and a modified version of the workbook method were used to estimate the incidence and prevalence of anti-HCV positive persons, the prevalence of chronic HCV infection and the undiagnosed proportion. The number of people treated for chronic HCV was estimated using administrative pharmaceutical data. An estimated 9,470 new infections occurred in 2019, corresponding to an incidence rate of 25 per 100,000 population, a 7.7% decrease since 2015. The estimated prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in the Canadian population was 1.03% (plausible range: 0.83%-1.38%), and the estimated prevalence of chronic HCV was 0.54% (plausible range: 0.40%-0.79%). The overall proportion of anti-HCV positive persons who were undiagnosed was estimated at 24% of all infections, with individuals born between 1945 and 1975 being the priority population the most likely to be undiagnosed. An estimated 74,500 people with chronic HCV have been treated since the introduction of direct-acting antivirals in 2014. Estimates of HCV incidence and prevalence are key metrics to guide interventions and resource allocation. While our estimates show that HCV incidence has decreased in Canada in recent years and treatment of chronic HCV has continued to increase, ongoing efforts are required to reduce the burden of HCV in Canada.

Amphetamine-type stimulants use and socio-economic factors associated with hepatitis C antibody positivity among border drug users in South of China.

Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) use has become popular in China. This study explored ATS use status and related risk factors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among ATS users in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted by questionnaires from January to July 2021 in border area in Yunnan. Respondent driving sampling and consecutive sampling was carried out among border drug users, and blood samples were tested for HCV antibodies. HCV infection and related risk factors among ATS users were measured. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analysis were conducted separately by Software SPSS 26.0. The ATS users accounted for 85.82% (345/402) among drug users, while anti-HCV antibody prevalence was 6.38% (22/345) among ATS users. The combined use of other types of drugs (OR = 7.29, 95%CI: 1.982-26.81, P = 0.003), injection drug use (OR = 6.823, 95%CI: 1.898-24.525, P = 0.003), average monthly income (OR = 4.825, 95%CI: 1.325-17.566, P = 0.017) might increase the risk of HCV infection among ATS users. ATS users with high school or above had higher HCV infection rates than those with primary school or below (OR = 5.718, 95%CI: 1.172-27.908, P = 0.031). Taken together, among drug users using ATS in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, combined use of multiple drugs and intravenous drug use was the high risk factor for HCV infection. Therefore, corresponding education and intervention measures should be taken.

Determinants of suboptimal immune recovery among a Chinese Yi ethnicity population with sustained HIV suppression

ObjectivesDespite sustained viral suppression with effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-infected patients with suboptimal immune recovery are still at high risk of both non-AIDS-related and AIDS-related events. The aim of this study was to investigate determinants potentially associated with suboptimal CD4 + T cell count recovery during free ART with sustained viral suppression among an HIV-infected Yi ethnicity population in Liangshan Prefecture, an area in China with high HIV prevalence.MethodsThis retrospective study included HIV-infected Yi adults (≥ 18 years and baseline CD4 + T cell count less than 500 cells/μL) for whom ART supported by National Free Antiretroviral Treatment Program was initiated between January 2015 and December 2018 in Zhaojue County, Liangshan Prefecture. Virological suppression (viral load < 50 copies/mL) was achieved within 12 months after ART initiation, and sustained virological suppression was maintained. Multivariate log-binomial regression analysis was used to assess determinants of suboptimal immune recovery.ResultsThere were 140 female and 137 male patients in this study, with a mean age of 36.57 ± 7.63 years. Most of the Yi patients were infected through IDU (48.7%) or heterosexual contact (49.8%), and the anti-HCV antibody prevalence was high (43.7%, 121/277). Of the 277 patients with a mean ART duration of 3.77 ± 1.21 years, complete immune recovery occurred in only 32.9%. The baseline CD4 + T cell count in patients with suboptimal and intermediate immune recovery was 248.64 ± 108.10 and 288.59 ± 108.86 cells/μL, respectively, which was much lower than the baseline 320.02 ± 123.65 cells/μL in patients who achieved complete immune recovery (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that low pre-ART CD4 + cell count and coinfection with HCV were associated with immune recovery of the HIV patients.ConclusionsOur study suggests that for HIV-infected Yi patients in Liangshan Prefecture, prompt ART initiation after diagnosis of HIV infection should be applied, and curative HCV treatment should be given to patients with HCV/HIV coinfection to improve the immunological effectiveness of ART.Trial registration None

Epidemiological trends of HIV/HCV coinfection in Spain, 2015-2019.

ObjectivesWe assessed the prevalence of anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies and active HCV infection (HCV‐RNA‐positive) in people living with HIV (PLWH) in Spain in 2019 and compared the results with those of four similar studies performed during 2015–2018.MethodsThe study was performed in 41 centres. Sample size was estimated for an accuracy of 1%. Patients were selected by random sampling with proportional allocation.ResultsThe reference population comprised 41 973 PLWH, and the sample size was 1325. HCV serostatus was known in 1316 PLWH (99.3%), of whom 376 (28.6%) were HCV antibody (Ab)‐positive (78.7% were prior injection drug users); 29 were HCV‐RNA‐positive (2.2%). Of the 29 HCV‐RNA‐positive PLWH, infection was chronic in 24, it was acute/recent in one, and it was of unknown duration in four. Cirrhosis was present in 71 (5.4%) PLWH overall, three (10.3%) HCV‐RNA‐positive patients and 68 (23.4%) of those who cleared HCV after anti‐HCV therapy (p = 0.04). The prevalence of anti‐HCV antibodies decreased steadily from 37.7% in 2015 to 28.6% in 2019 (p < 0.001); the prevalence of active HCV infection decreased from 22.1% in 2015 to 2.2% in 2019 (p < 0.001). Uptake of anti‐HCV treatment increased from 53.9% in 2015 to 95.0% in 2019 (p < 0.001).ConclusionsIn Spain, the prevalence of active HCV infection among PLWH at the end of 2019 was 2.2%, i.e. 90.0% lower than in 2015. Increased exposure to DAAs was probably the main reason for this sharp reduction. Despite the high coverage of treatment with direct‐acting antiviral agents, HCV‐related cirrhosis remains significant in this population.

Prevalence of hepatitis C in the adult Mexican population: National Survey of Health and Nutrition 2018

Hepatitis C is a preventable and treatable disease that has been declared a public health problem. In 2012, the prevalence of HCV serum anti-bodies in the Mexican adult population aged 20 to 49 years was 0·30%. We randomly selected a probabilistic sub-sample of 12,389 adults (20+ years) from adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) 2018 who provided a venous blood sample. Anti-HCV antibodies and HCV RNA were determined for this sub-sample. We estimated the national prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies and the proportion with viral RNA detection and evaluated their association with sociodemographic characteristics for all adults and with sexual behaviours in those aged 20 to 49 years using logistic regression. The national prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in serum was 0·38% (95%CI 0·24, 0·59) in the population aged 20 years and older; 14·9% of them had viral RNA. In the population aged 20 to 49 years antibody prevalence was 0·23% (95%CI 0·11, 0·48), being higher for males and people living in urban areas. In the population aged 50 years and older, the prevalence was 0·59% (95%CI 0·34, 1·06). The prevalence of antibodies anti-HCV in people aged 20 to 49 years was similar in 2018 than in 2012, suggesting that the prevalence of HCV has remained stable. ENSANUT is a household study and could underestimate the prevalence of HCV. Further efforts must be made to identify cases in non-household populations. National Institute of Statistics and Geography and National Institute of Public Health of Mexico [CIEE/1807].

Prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis C in Mainland China.

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in China. Rapid economic development has had an enormous impact on the epidemiology and treatment of hepatitis C. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in Mainland China is approximately 0.91%, and use of injected drugs has become the main route of HCV transmission in China. Reimbursement for 3 direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has been approved by the National Medical Insurance scheme in China, which ensures the accessibility of treatment for an HCV infection. To improve the awareness of treatments for hepatitis C among medical personnel and the rate of in-hospital screening for HCV, the Chinese Medical Association has formulated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C and a process of in-hospital screening for hepatitis C in China. These efforts have standardized the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management of hepatitis C. Based on the international strategy for micro-elimination of hepatitis C, China has also screened and treated groups at risk of hepatitis C infection, and this has reduced the number of the infected. The current review describes the status of and issues with the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of hepatitis C in Mainland China as part of the global effort to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

The Prevalence of Viral Hepatitis B and C among Multitransfused Thalassaemic Patients in Azadi Teaching Hospital in Kirkuk City

Background: Patients with thalassemia major are at high risk of hepatitis C and B due to the blood transfusion from donors infected by HCV and HBV. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of post-transfusion hepatitis infection (PTH). Objective: The aim of this study is to detect the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies and HBs Ag and risk factors in multitransfused thalassemic patients in Kirkuk city to establish better preventive strategies. Patients and Methods: This study is conducted in Kirkuk city from Nov 2012 to March 2013 for HCV and HBV infection. A structured interview questionnaire is developed by the trained researcher to collect the demographic and risk factors. Statistical analysis was done by Chi-square test. Results: The prevalence of HCV is estimated to be (17.8%) and this is increased with increasing the requirement for blood transfusion in splenectomized patients while only (2.0%) is positive for HBV infection. Conclusion: The study shows a higher prevalence of HCV infection among multitransfused thalassemic patients with increasing requirement for blood transfusion in splenectomized patients.

Evolutionary seroepidemiology of viral hepatitis and the gap in hepatitis C care cascades among uraemic patients receiving haemodialysis in Taiwan-the Formosa-Like Group.

Uraemic patients undergoing haemodialysis are at high risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We aimed to evaluate the evolutionary seroprevalence of viral hepatitis and the gap in HCV care cascades in this special population by a large-scale surveillance study in Taiwan. Uraemic patients on maintenance haemodialysis from 22 sites (FORMOSA-LIKE group) in 2012 (n=1,680) and 2019 (n=2,326) were recruited for this study. The distributions and sequential changes of viral hepatitis markers were analysed. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibody and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity was 13.6% (316/2326) and 11.5% (267/2326), respectively, in 2019 compared with 17.3% (290/1680, P=.002) and 13.6% (229/1680, P=.046), respectively, in 2012. The HCV-viremic rate among anti-HCV-seropositive patients was significantly lower in 2019 than in 2012 (56.3% [178/316] vs. 73.8% [214/290], P<.001). The HCV treatment rate increased from 2.3% (5/217) in 2012 to 21.7% (49/226) in 2019 (P<.001). In the sequential analysis of the 490 patients who participated in both screens, 17 of the 55 HCV-viremic patients became HCV RNA seronegative, including 13 by antivirals and four spontaneously. By contrast, one anti-HCV-seropositive but nonviremic patient became viremic, and six anti-HCV-seronegative patients became anti-HCV-seropositive in 2019. The annual incidence of new HCV was 0.2%/year. Seven HBsAg-seropositive patients experienced HBsAg loss (1.25%/year). Two patients had new anti-HBc seropositivity (new HBV exposure: 0.57%/year). The seroprevalence of viral hepatitis decreased in an 8-year follow-up but remained prevalent, and the treatment of HCV infection was underutilized in uraemic patients. Additional efforts are needed to enhance the HCV treatment uptake of uraemic patients. Clinical Trial IDs: NCT03803410, NCT01766895.

Seroprevalence of HBV and HCV in female sex workers from four cities in the state of Pará, northern Brazil.

Female sex workers (FSWs) represent a high vulnerability group for the acquisition of sexual and parenteral infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of serological markers and risk factors associated with exposure to HBV and HCV among FSWs in the state of Pará, Brazil. A cross-sectional study using principles of the time location sampling (TLS) method was conducted in four cities (Belém, Bragança, Barcarena, andAugusto Corrêa) of the state of Pará, from 2005 to 2006. In total, 365 FSWs were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Blood samples were collected and tested for serological markers of exposure to HBV and HCV using an enzyme immunoassay. The overall prevalence of exposure to HBV and HCV was 36.7% and 7.7%, respectively. The prevalence of surface antigen of HBV was 3.0%. The prevalence of anti-HBc and anti-HBc+ anti-HBs antibodies were 6.3% and 27.4%. Very few (4.7%) FSWs had vaccine immunity against HBV (anti-HBs antibodies only). The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 7.7%. Low monthly income, drug usage, and unprotected sex were some of the social characteristics associated with exposure to the viruses using different analysis. The seroprevalence of HBV and HCV infections among FSWs in four cities of the state of Pará is high when compared to the general population of Brazil, but similar to those found in FSWs in other nondeveloped countries. The prevalence of HBV was higher in Belém, while the prevalence of HCV was higher in the other three cities, highlighting the importance of establishing control and prevention programs to reduce the risk of acquiring these viruses in Pará.

The Prevalence of HCV Infection and Risk Factors in a Hospital- Based Population Screening, a First Step to the Micro-Elimination of HCV Infection in Medical Institutions from Romania - Results of the HepC ALERT Study.

Elimination of hepatitis C worldwide is more feasible if micro-elimination screening strategies are adopted. We aimed to screen hepatitis C virus (HCV) in specific high-risk populations in certain sub-regions of Romania and link them to antiviral treatment. A multicenter prospective study was conducted among the hospitalized or ambulatory adult patients from March 2019 to March 2020 in more than 20 medical institutions from 4 Romanian cities (Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca). A rapid diagnostic test for HCV diagnosis was performed to all admitted patients and the positive ones were sent to gastroenterology departments for confirming the active infection, staging and treatment prescription. In total, 25,141 subjects signed the informed consent and were consequently enrolled into the study. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 1.39% (95%CI: 1.25-1.54) and increased with the number of risk factors presented by one subject. There was a positive association between the presence of anti-HCV antibodies and female gender (p<0.001), rural area of residence (p<0.001), advanced age (p<0.001), as well as a negative association with the education level (p<0.001). In a hospital-based screening micro-elimination program in Romania, HCV prevalence was lower than previously reported. This is a first step towards a cost-effective screening in a well-defined group of persons at risk and provides sufficient capacity to deliver access to HCV treatment and linkage to care in Romania.

Prevalence, Risk Factors and Awareness about HCV Infection in Pregnant Women in a Tertiary Care Center in North India

Among the viral infections affecting the liver in pregnancy, Hepatitis C though uncommon now is recognized to be a serious global public health problem affecting 170 million people worldwide I .e. 3% of the population [1]. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibody in pregnant women in developed countries ranges from 0.14 to 4.4%, whereas the seroprevalence in Indian pregnant female population is 1.03% [2,3,4].Following the decreasing transmission of HCV by blood -transfusion, intravenous drug use has now become the primary route of new HCV infections in adults while mother to child transmission (MTCT) is the major route of new infections in young children in the developed as well as in developing countries.[5]Approximately 7–8% of hepatitis C virus-positive women transmit this virus to their offspring [6]mainly because they are ignorant about this infection and unaware of their status. The natural course of hepatitis C is a progression from acute hepatitis to chronic hepatitis, which occurs in 55%-85 % of patients.

Prevention and factors associated with anti-HCV carriage in pregnant women living in Cotonou

Introductionl´hépatite C est une infection dont la transmission mère-enfant est possible. L´objectif de ce travail était d´étudier la prévalence du portage des anticorps anti-VHC chez des femmes enceintes à Cotonou et d´identifier les facteurs qui y sont associés.Méthodesil s´est agi d´une étude transversale menée du 01/06/2018 au 01/09/2018 auprès de 253 gestantes reçues pour des soins prénatals dans quatre grandes maternités de Cotonou (Bénin). Les anticorps anti-VHC avaient été détectés par des tests rapides d´orientation diagnostique. Un échantillon de sang veineux avait été prélevé chez les gestantes avec anti-VHC positifs en vue de tests sérologiques de confirmation et d´un dépistage du diabète gestationnel.Résultatsla prévalence des anticorps anti-VHC était de 1,2% (3/253 gestantes). Les facteurs associés au portage du VHC n´avaient pu être identifiés compte tenu du faible nombre de cas positifs. Cependant, les gestantes porteuses des anticorps anti-VHC avaient une moyenne d´âge élevée (32 ± 3) comparativement au reste de la population (29,58 ± 5,5). Les facteurs de risque potentiels d´infection par le VHC retrouvés étaient les scarifications, le piercing, le tatouage, le partage du matériel de manucure, un antécédent d´intervention chirurgicale et de transfusion sanguine. La prévalence du diabète gestationnel dans notre étude était de 7,9% (20/253). Aucune association n´était trouvée entre le diabète gestationnel et l´hépatite C.Conclusionla prévalence des anticorps anti-VHC chez les gestantes à Cotonou était faible. Une étude d´envergure nationale s´avère nécessaire afin d´identifier les facteurs associés à cette infection.