Implementation of HCV screening in the 1969-1989 birth-cohort undergoing COVID-19 vaccination.
POC
WHO
birth-cohorts
hepatitis C virus
screening
Journal
Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver
ISSN: 1478-3231
Titre abrégé: Liver Int
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101160857
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
05 2022
05 2022
Historique:
revised:
09
12
2021
received:
15
10
2021
accepted:
26
01
2022
pubmed:
28
2
2022
medline:
26
4
2022
entrez:
27
2
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The World Health Organization (WHO) goal of hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination by 2030 relies on the scaling-up of both identification and linkage to care of the infected population, worldwide. In Italy, the estimated burden of HCV carriers who are unaware of their infection amounts to 200 000 persons, a projection that reinforces the need for broadening population access to effective screening programmes. A pivotal screening programme targeting subjects born between 1969 and 1989 has been conducted in Lombardy, Northern Italy, where point-of-care (POC) testing was offered for free concomitantly to COVID-19 vaccination. Amongst 7219 subjects born between 1969 and 1989 who underwent HCV screening through POC, 7 (0.10%) subjects tested anti-HCV positive: 5 (0.07%) had confirmed anti-HCV positivity (Table 1) and 4 of them (0.05%) were HCV-RNA positive by standard confirmation tests. This pivotal study demonstrated the feasibility of a POC-based anti-HCV screening programme in young adults undergoing COVID-19 vaccination. The prevalence of HCV infection in subjects born in the 1969-1989 cohort in Italy seems to be lower than previously estimated. Whether the extension of this programme to subjects born before 1969 could lead to improved screening effectiveness should be a matter of debate.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND AND AIM
The World Health Organization (WHO) goal of hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination by 2030 relies on the scaling-up of both identification and linkage to care of the infected population, worldwide. In Italy, the estimated burden of HCV carriers who are unaware of their infection amounts to 200 000 persons, a projection that reinforces the need for broadening population access to effective screening programmes.
METHODS
A pivotal screening programme targeting subjects born between 1969 and 1989 has been conducted in Lombardy, Northern Italy, where point-of-care (POC) testing was offered for free concomitantly to COVID-19 vaccination.
RESULTS
Amongst 7219 subjects born between 1969 and 1989 who underwent HCV screening through POC, 7 (0.10%) subjects tested anti-HCV positive: 5 (0.07%) had confirmed anti-HCV positivity (Table 1) and 4 of them (0.05%) were HCV-RNA positive by standard confirmation tests.
CONCLUSIONS
This pivotal study demonstrated the feasibility of a POC-based anti-HCV screening programme in young adults undergoing COVID-19 vaccination. The prevalence of HCV infection in subjects born in the 1969-1989 cohort in Italy seems to be lower than previously estimated. Whether the extension of this programme to subjects born before 1969 could lead to improved screening effectiveness should be a matter of debate.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35220667
doi: 10.1111/liv.15216
pmc: PMC9115160
doi:
Substances chimiques
COVID-19 Vaccines
0
Hepatitis C Antibodies
0
Types de publication
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1012-1016Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Informations de copyright
© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S . Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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