A population-based screening for hepatitis C antibodies and active infection using a point-of-care test in a low prevalence area
Por:
Carvalho-Gomes Â, Cubells A, Pallarés C, Hontangas V, Conde I, Di Maira T, Peiró S, Sanfélix-Gimeno G, López-Labrador FX and Berenguer M
Publicada:
11 feb 2020
Categoría:
Multidisciplinary
Resumen:
Background
Data on the true prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population is essential. We evaluated a program implementing free universal HCV screening using a non-invasive point-of-care test (POCT) (OraQuick-HCV rapid test) in oral fluid in an urban area in Valencia, South-Eastern Spain.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was performed during 2015-2017. Free HCV screening was offered by regular mail to 11,500 individuals aged 18 and over, randomly selected from all census residents in the Health Department. All responding participants filled in a questionnaire about HCV infection risk factors and were tested in their tertiary Hospital. In those with a positive POCT, results were confirmed by enzyme-immunoassay and HCV-RNA.
Results
1,206 persons agreed to participate (response rate: 11.16%). HCV antibodies were detected in 19 (1.60%) cases (age-sex standardized rate: 1.31%; 95%CI: 0.82-2.07), but only 8 showed positive HCV-RNA (age-sex standardized rate: 0.56%; 95%CI: 0.28-1.14). The majority (89%) of the cases were born before 1965 and 74% had at least one known risk factor for HCV infection. All anti-HCV positive individuals were already aware of their infection, and no undiagnosed cases were detected. The performance of the POCT was excellent for detecting active infection.
Conclusions
These preliminary data suggest that HCV population screening with a POCT is feasible but, in our setting, mailing recruiting is not effective (11% response rate). The low prevalence of HCV antibodies and active infection in the participant population (with no new diagnoses made) suggests that, in our setting, underdiagnosis may be uncommon.
Filiaciones:
Carvalho-Gomes Â:
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, València, Spain
CIBERehd, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Cubells A:
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, València, Spain
Pallarés C:
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, València, Spain
CIBERehd, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Hontangas V:
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, València, Spain
Conde I:
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Unit, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, València, Spain
Di Maira T:
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, València, Spain
:
Health Services Research Area, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO Public Health), València, Spain
:
Health Services Research Area, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO Public Health), València, Spain
:
CIBEResp, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Virology Laboratory, Joint Units in Genomics and Health and Infection and Health, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO Public Health) / Universitat de València, València, Spain
Berenguer M:
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, València, Spain
CIBERehd, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Liver Transplantation and Hepatology Unit, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, València, Spain
Department of Medicine, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Green Published, gold
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