scholarly journals The Epidemiological Patterns of Hepatitis C in Lithuania: Changes in Surveillance from 2005 to 2018

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 1120
Author(s):  
Samanta Grubyte ◽  
Jurgita Urboniene ◽  
Laura Nedzinskiene ◽  
Ligita Jancoriene

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major global causes of death and morbidity, and so it remains an important public health concern in Europe [...]

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-39
Author(s):  
Sardana Vandana ◽  
Verma Sameer R

Introduction-Viral hepatitis is one of the major public health concern worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are of great concern due to their association with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Aims & Objectives-i)To determine the frequency of Hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HCV antibodies in patients coming to a tertiary care teaching hospital ii)To estimate the occurrence of co-infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus iii) To analyse the risk factors associated with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and their co-infections. Method- This prospective study included serum samples which were subjected to detection of HBs antigen and anti-HCV antibodies using rapid immunochromatographic card tests, which were further confirmed by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Results- Out of total of 12,502 cases, the seropositivity of HBs antigen and anti-HCV antibodies was found to be 3.6% (452 /12,502) and 6.1% (758 /12,502) respectively. The frequency of co-infection (HBs antigen and anti-HCV antibodies) was found to be 0.8% (99 /12,502). Male to female ratio for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and co-infection was 2.1:1, 1.6:1and 2.3:1, respectively. The commonest risk factor associated with seropositivity of HBV was intravenous drug use, followed by blood / blood components transfusion. Hepatitis C infection was most commonly seen with blood / blood components transfusion, followed by intravenous drug use. Conclusions: Counseling and health education regarding the safe injection practices, safe sexual practices , screening of blood / blood products and vaccination against HBV are the essential steps to combat viral hepatitis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-78
Author(s):  
Niresh Thapa ◽  
Muna Maharjan

Diabetes is an important public health concern which is increasing rapidly in developing countries. It is challenging to prevent and manage diabetes in a rural setting. The Integrated Diabetic Clinic is comprehensive diabetes care under one roof. Its aim is to provide efficient accessible and affordable comprehensive care. It will make a huge difference in the management of diabetes. This clinic will play a major role in unifying different aspects of health care under one roof and offer the most comprehensive and cost-effective accessible health care to minimize mortality and morbidity associated with diabetes.


Author(s):  
Samira H Hanash ◽  
Hassan A. Al-Shamahy ◽  
Mohammed Hussein Saleh Bamshmous

Hepatitis C virus infection is a constant worldwide public health concern. The prevalence of HCV infection is higher in patients on chronic haemodialysis (HD) than in the general population. Despite the control of blood products, hepatitis C virus transmission is still being observed among patients undergoing dialysis. Detection systems for serum HCV antibodies are insensitive in the acute phase because of the long serological window. Direct detection of HCV depends on PCR test but this test is not suitable for routine screening. The objective of this study was to determine prevalence of HCV, genotyping and if HCV core antigen test could be a better alternative to NAT techniques for the diagnosis of HCV infection during the window period and whether the sensitivity for antibody detection is preserved. We screened 159 patients on long-term dialysis by HVC antibodies test, PCR HCV-RNA and HCV core antigen test by commercial tests. The prevalence of HCV was 10.7% (17 patients) and genotype 4 was the most common one (64.7%). The sensitivity of HCV core antigen test was 94.1%, the specificity 100%, the positive predictive power 100%, and the negative predictive power 97.9%. In conclusions; patients on maintenance HD in Yemen have a high prevalence of HCV infection comparing with general population; and genotype 4 is predominant. The performance of serological detection of HCV core antigen was better than that of HCV antibodies test and may be an alternative to nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) for routine monitoring of patients on chronic dialysis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bożena Walewska-Zielecka ◽  
Urszula Religioni ◽  
Grzegorz Juszczyk ◽  
Zbigniew M Wawrzyniak ◽  
Aleksandra Czerw ◽  
...  

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a serious public health concern and one of the major public health priorities. In 2005, it was estimated that there are 185 million anti-HCV positive people in the world, which constitutes 2.8% of the global population. Our study estimates the anti-HCV seroprevalence in the working age population (15–64 years-old), mostly urban and suburban residents, in Poland from 2004 to 2014. The studied group consisted of 61,805 working-age population representatives whose data were obtained from electronic medical records of an outpatient clinic network operating on a countrywide level. Positive anti-HCV test results were obtained in 957 patients, representing 1.5% of the whole population studied throughout the analysed period. The average age of all anti-HCV positive patients was 36.8 years. Analysis of the data suggests that the proportion of anti-HCV positive patients decreased over the study period (mean positive anti-HCV = -0.0017 × year + 3.3715; R2 = 0.7558). In 2004, positive results were noted among 3.2% of patients undergoing HCV antibody tests, but in 2014, the percentage of patients with a positive result stood at 1.1%. The apparent decrease affected men and women similarly. Our study also provides evidence that screening people born before 1965 could be beneficial.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Airton Cunha Martins ◽  
Alessanda Antunes Dos Santos ◽  
Ana Carolina B. Almeida Lopes ◽  
Anatoly V. Skalny ◽  
Michael Aschner ◽  
...  

: Hypertension is an important public health concern that affects millions globally, leading to a large number of morbidities and fatalities. The etiology of hypertension is complex and multifactorial, and it involves environmental factors including heavy metals. Indeed, cadmium and mercury are toxic elements commonly distributed in the environment which contribute to hypertension. We aimed to assess the role of cadmium and mercury-induced endothelial dysfunction in the development of hypertension. A narrative review was carried out through database searches. In this review, we discussed the critical roles of cadmium and mercury in the etiology of hypertension and provide new insights into potential mechanisms of their effect, focusing primarily on endothelial dysfunction. Although, the mechanisms by which cadmium and mercury induce hypertension have yet to be completely elucidated, evidence for both implicates impaired nitric oxide signaling in their hypertensive etiology.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gioacchino Li Cavoli ◽  
Carmela Zagarrigo ◽  
Onofrio Schillaci ◽  
Francesca Servillo ◽  
Angelo Tralongo ◽  
...  

Hepatitis C virus infection is a persistent worldwide public health concern. The prevalence of HCV infection is much higher in patients on chronic haemodialysis (HD) than in the general population. HCV infection can detrimentally affect patients throughout the spectrum of chronic kidney disease. Despite the control of blood products, hepatitis C virus transmission is still being observed among patients undergoing dialysis. Detection systems for serum HCV antibodies are insensitive in the acute phase because of the long serological window. Direct detection of HCV depends on PCR test but this test is not suitable for routine screening. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of HCV core antigen detection as an alternative to PCR. Few studies exist about the efficacy of HCV core antigen test in dialysis population. We studied the utility of HCV core antigen test in routine monitoring of virological status of dialysis patients. We screened 92 patients on long-term dialysis both by PCR HCV-RNA and HCV core antigen test. The sensitivity of HCVcAg test was 90%, the specificity 100%, the positive predictive power 100%, the negative predictive power 97%, and the accuracy 97%. We think serological detection of HCV core antigen may be an alternative to NAT techniques for routine monitoring of patients on chronic dialysis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Dominic Fernandes ◽  
Swagata Banik ◽  
Nazha Abughali ◽  
Bonisha Sthapit ◽  
Neelab Abdullah ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has a strong association with intravenous drug use (IVDU). IVDU is a growing public health concern, even in the adolescent population. To our knowledge, there are no published HCV screening studies targeting high-risk adolescents who attend drug rehabilitation centers. This study was designed to determine the seroprevalence of HCV infection utilizing point-of-care (POC) testing at an adolescent drug rehabilitation center and gain a preliminary understanding of the acceptance rate for HCV screening in this high-risk population. Methods This single-center, observational study was conducted at a major drug rehabilitation center in northeast Ohio from July 2016 to June 2017. The consented adolescents who presented at the center were recruited to participate in HCV screening. The participants were administered a survey to assess their demographics and risk behavior profile followed by HCV testing utilizing a POC test. Results During the study period, 150 adolescents were admitted to the drug rehabilitation center, of whom 100 were approached and 85 agreed to participate. Forty percent of the participants (34/85) were females, and 78% (66/85) were white. HCV prevalence among participants was 5% (4/85), all of whom were females. History of heroin use was reported by 15% (13/85) and it was associated with HCV seropositivity; 100% (4/4) of all HCV-positive individuals reported the use of heroin vs only 11% (9/81) of HCV-negative individuals (P = .0004). Conclusions Our study showed a high prevalence of HCV among adolescents attending a drug rehabilitation center with high acceptance of POC HCV testing.


2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bright Chen ◽  
Analiza Mitchell ◽  
David Tran

Background: Foot and ankle health among the homeless is an important public health concern. There are limited studies done thus far on foot and ankle conditions and the podiatric medical needs of homeless populations. A literature review was undertaken to evaluate any studies published about the lower-extremity health needs among the homeless. Methods: We did a literature search through PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s database of biomedical citations and abstracts for relevant publications from 1988 through 2008. We also searched the references cited in the articles found for any studies relevant to podiatric needs for homeless populations. Results: We found three relevant articles that addressed the needs of podiatric care for the homeless. The articles highlighted the community health importance of foot care for homeless populations, especially in helping prevent potentially limb-threatening pathologies. Conclusions: The small number of studies published so far all emphasize the major public health need for podiatric care among homeless populations. More studies are needed to help address this important public health concern. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(1): 54–56, 2012)


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonché Danesh ◽  
Victor Virlogeux ◽  
Christophe Ramière ◽  
Caroline Charre ◽  
Laurent Cotte ◽  
...  

AbstractOpioid substitution and syringes exchange programs have drastically reduced hepatitis C virus (HCV) spread in France but HCV sexual transmission in men having sex with men (MSM) has recently arisen as a significant public health concern. The fact that the virus is transmitting in a heterogeneous population, with ‘new’ and ‘classical’ hosts, makes prevalence and incidence rates poorly informative. However, additional insights can be gained by analyzing virus phylogenies inferred from dated genetic sequence data. By combining a phylodynamics approach based on Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) and an original transmission model, we estimate key epidemiological parameters of an ongoing HCV epidemic among MSMs in Lyon (France). We show that this new epidemic is largely independent of the ‘classical’ HCV epidemics and that its doubling time is ten times lower (0.44 years versus 4.37 years). These results have practical implications for HCV control and illustrate the additional information provided by virus genomics in public health.


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