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 B virus infection among general population of Armenia in 2021 and factors associated with it: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the prevalence and associated factors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection ever in life and chronic HBV infection in Armenia. DESIGN: A population-based cross-sectional seroprevalence study combined with a phone survey of tested individuals. SETTING: All administrative units of Armenia including 10 provinces and capital city Yerevan. PARTICIPANTS: The study frame was the general adult population of Armenia aged ≥18 years. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The participants were tested for anti-HBV core antibodies (anti-HBc) and HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) using third-generation enzyme immunoassays. In case of HBsAg positivity, HBV DNA and hepatitis D virus (HDV) RNA PCR tests were performed. Risk factors of HBV infection ever in life (anti-HBc positivity) and chronic HBV infection (HBsAg positivity) were identified through fitting logistic regression models. RESULTS: The seroprevalence study included 3838 individuals 18 years and older. Of them, 90.7% (3476 individuals) responded to the phone survey. The prevalence of anti-HBc positivity was 14.1% (95% CI 13.1% to 15.2%) and HBsAg positivity 0.8% (95% CI 0.5% to 1.1%). The viral load was over 10 000 IU/mL for 7.9% of HBsAg-positive individuals. None of the participants was positive for HDV. Risk factors for HBsAg positivity included less than secondary education (aOR=6.44; 95% CI 2.2 to 19.1), current smoking (aOR=2.56; 95% CI 1.2 to 5.6), and chronic liver disease (aOR=8.44; 95% CI 3.0 to 23.7). In addition to these, risk factors for anti-HBc positivity included age (aOR=1.04; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.05), imprisonment ever in life (aOR=2.53; 95% CI 1.41 to 4.56), and poor knowledge on infectious diseases (aOR=1.32; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.67), while living in Yerevan (vs provinces) was protective (aOR=0.74; 95% CI 0.59 to 0.93). CONCLUSION: This study provided robust estimates of HBV markers among general population of Armenia. Its findings delineated the need to revise HBV testing and treatment strategies considering higher risk population groups, and improve population knowledge on HBV prevention.

Moving Research-Based Learning in Life Sciences Upstream, and Beyond Borders: An International Group Research Project for High School Youth.

International cooperation beyond borders, institutions, and intergenerationally is an important aspect of science and research-based learning. Timing of learning also matters. Early exposure to group research-based learning can potentially have lasting positive impacts on youth and their careers in life sciences. Here, we report our work on the International Group Project (IGP), which builds on the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) organized in Yerevan, Armenia, in 2022. The IBO is an annual international competition for high school students held since 1990 around the world. We envisioned the IGP as a novel opportunity for life sciences research-based education among youth. We formed diverse IGP research teams 2 months before the IBO, and comprised high school students from 32 countries, communicating in a digital environment via videoconferencing. Each team formulated a research question in an IGP theme from five domains of life sciences: "Biomedicine," "Molecular and cell biology," "Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence," "Bionics and Biomimicry," "Across Species." Subsequently, team members collectively solved their research question by applying life sciences methodologies under supervision from a facilitator scientist. Each team created a poster based on their research and presented in-person to the public at a satellite activity at the IBO. A special subcommittee of the IBO International Jury graded posters and allocated prizes based on scientific ingenuity and presentation quality. This experience from the IGP lends evidence to the feasibility of research-based learning in life sciences for high school youth beyond borders. Moving research-based learning upstream and internationally is well poised to advance 21st century life sciences from both interdisciplinary and intergenerational standpoints. The historic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that youth engagement in research-based learning and innovation in life sciences is timely.

Organizing an in-person nation-wide Biology olympiad during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has inspired the implementation of a number of online educational activities designed to promote appropriate measures, such as social distancing, in order to avoid spread of the disease. In these circumstances, ensuring that extracurricular activities in science education adapt to the changing situation is of crucial importance. Recognizing the important role high school science olympiads play in science education, we organized an in-person socially distanced 2-day examination for the final round of the Armenian National Biology Olympiad by using Classmarker, a web-based in-browser tool for administering exams. We believe that our experience with organizing this event will prove useful to other educators faced with uncertainty regarding the return to pre-pandemic modes of instruction.

Smart Safety Surveillance (3S): Multi-Country Experience of Implementing the 3S Concepts and Principles.

INTRODUCTION: The Smart Safety Surveillance (3S) concept is based on the understanding that, when faced with competing pharmacovigilance priorities, countries will have to invest judiciously, by focusing on new priority products, sharing work and resources with other countries when possible and building national competence for those activities that cannot be delegated. METHOD: The 3S principles were applied to Armenia, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Peru and Thailand using three priority products: bedaquiline, rotavirus vaccine and tafenoquine. A baseline assessment of pharmacovigilance preparedness was used to identify gaps and establish a work plan. The impact was measured by comparing pre and post 3S-intervention outcomes, which included the number and quality of reports (completeness scores) in the WHO global database of Individual Case Safety Reports, VigiBase, and number of structural indicators met. The implementation period was 9-18 months, ranging from March 2018 (earliest started) until May 2020 (latest). RESULT: An increase in adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting was demonstrated in Armenia (bedaquiline), Brazil (TB and malaria medicines), India (rotavirus vaccine) and Ethiopia (TB medicines). Completeness scores were above 0.5 at baseline in all countries, and reports improved in quality for Brazil (TB), Peru (malaria), Thailand (malaria) and India (immunization). The number of structural indicators met increased by more than double for Ethiopia. Ethiopia and India demonstrated an increased capacity for signal detection and signal evaluation. Armenia, Brazil, Peru and Thailand showed increased capacity to assess risk management plans following the implementation of 3S principles. CONCLUSION: The 3S concept has demonstrated success in different ways across the six countries. Activities focused on three products for a proof of concept of the 3S principles, with the expectation that the project impact will be sustained through strengthened systems, to guide pharmacovigilance activities of other products in the future. It is important to continue monitoring the countries to understand if the gains and successes of the current 3S project are sustainable.