Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Feb;61(4):667-674.
doi: 10.1111/apt.18433. Epub 2024 Dec 10.

In-Hospital Screening Campaign Against Hepatitis C Could Be Effective for Identifying More Patients Who Still Need Treatment

Alberto Ferrarese  1   2 , Paola Zanaga  1   2 , Sara Battistella  1   2 , Silvia Zanella  1   2 , Teresa Zappitelli  1   2 , Caterina Boldrin  3 , Monia Pacenti  3 , Margherita Cattai  3 , Greta Bordignon  4 , Federica Gomiero  5 , Magdalena Epifani  5 , Marco Villano  5 , Martina Gambato  1   2 , Alberto Zanetto  1   2 , Nora Cazzagon  1   2 , Liliana Chemello  6 , Francesca Pasin  7 , Lorenzo Calò  8 , Andrea Doria  9 , Livio Trentin  10 , Sabino Illiceto  11 , Angelo Avogaro  12 , Francesca Venturini  13 , Paolo Simioni  7 , Paolo Angeli  6 , Michele Tessarin  14 , Patrizia Burra  1   2 , Annamaria Cattelan  15 , Francesco Paolo Russo  1   2
Affiliations

In-Hospital Screening Campaign Against Hepatitis C Could Be Effective for Identifying More Patients Who Still Need Treatment

Alberto Ferrarese et al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Screening programmes for the detection of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and positive viral load have been developed in many countries to achieve the World Health Organization's goal of HCV elimination by 2030. In Italy, a phased screening programme starting with individuals born between 1969 and 1989 has been implemented.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of patients with positive viraemia identified through a universal screening campaign conducted among hospitalised patients at our centre during the calendar year 2022.

Methods: All adult (aged ≥ 18 years) hospitalised patients, who participated in HCV screening from January to December 2022 were included, without any age restriction. Screening initially involved testing for anti-HCV antibodies and then patients who tested positive underwent further HCV-RNA testing.

Results: A total of 10,846 samples were collected. Five hundred and thirty cases (4.8%) tested positive for HCV antibodies, and 109 (1%) tested positive for both HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA. Among patients with a positive viral load, the median [IQR] age was 62 [53-77] years, with a significant age difference between males and females (59 [48-67] vs. 78 [62-88]; Mann-Whitney U-test, p = 0.001). Eighty-four (77%) patients with a positive viral load were outside the target age range specified in the current National Recommendations for free-of-charge screening.

Conclusions: The non-negligible prevalence of patients with a positive viral load among an unselected group of hospitalised patients suggests that such settings could effectively enhance screening programmes aimed at HCV elimination. Additionally, this approach may help identify patients who are not currently included in the National Recommendations.

Keywords: 1969–1989 birth cohort; direct‐acting antiviral agents; sustained virological response.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. L. A. Kondili, M. Andreoni, A. Alberti, et al., “Estimated Prevalence of Undiagnosed HCV Infected Individuals in Italy: A Mathematical Model by Route of Transmission and Fibrosis Progression,” Epidemics 34 (2021): 100442.
    1. L. A. Kondili, A. Aghemo, M. Andreoni, et al., “Milestones to Reach Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Elimination in Italy: From Free‐Of‐Charge Screening to Regional Roadmaps for an HCV‐Free Nation,” Digestive and Liver Disease 54, no. 2 (2022): 237–242.
    1. H. Razavi, S. Robbins, S. Zeuzem, et al., “Hepatitis C Virus Prevalence and Level of Intervention Required to Achieve the WHO Targets for Elimination in the European Union by 2030: A Modelling Study,” Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2, no. 5 (2017): 325–336.
    1. GBD 2019 Europe Hepatitis B & C Collaborator, “Hepatitis B and C in Europe: An Update From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019,” Lancet Public Health 8, no. 9 (2023): e701–e716.
    1. C. Thomadakis, I. Gountas, E. Duffell, et al., “Prevalence of Chronic HCV Infection in EU/EEA Countries in 2019 Using Multiparameter Evidence Synthesis,” Lancet Regional Health. Europe 36 (2024): 100792.

LinkOut - more resources