Prevalence of chronic hepatitis C infection in the general population: results from a national survey, Romania, 2020 to 2023.
Euro Surveill
; 29(30)2024 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39056200
ABSTRACT
IntroductionA national study from 2006 to 2008 showed a high antibody prevalence of 3.2% against hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Romania, but more recent epidemiological data on hepatitis C prevalence are lacking.AimWe aimed to estimate the current prevalence of HCV antibodies (anti-HCV) and chronic HCV infection in the general adult population in Romania, as a crucial element in monitoring progress towards eliminating hepatitis C.MethodsWe used anonymised leftover sera from a SARS-CoV-2 survey conducted between July and October 2020 (n = 2,100), supplemented with sera collected prospectively between July 2022 and March 2023 (n = 574). These included sera collected from adults visiting laboratories for routine medical check-ups. Sera were tested for anti-HCV and HCV core antigen and classified according to anti-HCV and chronic infection status.ResultsOf the total 2,674 specimens tested, 44 were anti-HCV-positive with a weighted anti-HCV prevalence of 1.4% (95%â¯CI 1.0-1.9), and 29 were HCV core antigen-positive with a weighted prevalence of chronic infection of 0.9% (95%â¯CI 0.5-1.2). The prevalence of chronic infection did not differ significantly between men and women. It was higher in persons 60 years and older (2.0%; 95%â¯CI 1.1-3.0) and in specimens from the North-East region (2.2%; 95%â¯CI 0.8-3.7).ConclusionAlthough the overall HCV prevalence in Romania is currently low, targeted screening, prevention measures and treatment scale-up are needed especially for the population 60 years and older and in the north-eastern part of the country to achieve the goal of ending the hepatitis C epidemic.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Hepacivirus
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Anticorpos Anti-Hepatite C
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Hepatite C Crônica
Limite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Euro Surveill
Assunto da revista:
DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
França