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Incidence of HCV infection in French hemodialysis units: A prospective study
Author(s) -
Izopet Jacques,
SandresSauné Karine,
Kamar Nassim,
Salama Gilles,
Dubois Martine,
Pasquier Christophe,
Rostaing Lionel
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.20415
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatitis c virus , incidence (geometry) , hemodialysis , virology , clearance , epidemiology , hepatitis c , dialysis , prospective cohort study , viral disease , transmission (telecommunications) , hepacivirus , interferon , immunology , virus , physics , electrical engineering , optics , urology , engineering
A large prospective study was carried out from 1997 to 2000 in 25 French hemodialysis units including 1,323 patients to determine the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Monthly testing of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, and assessment of HCV RNA and anti‐HCV antibodies if the ALT activity was elevated, identified 14 new infections in 7 different units, giving an incidence of 0.4% new HCV infections per year. Molecular analyses and epidemiological data indicated that five patients became infected with HCV outside the unit where they were dialyzed, while the nine remaining patients acquired HCV from infected patients on dialysis during the same shift at the same unit. HCV was cleared in six of the seven (85.7%) patients with acute hepatitis C who were given standard doses of alpha‐interferon (α‐IFN). The persistence of nosocomial transmission of HCV in hemodialysis units emphasizes the need to implement infection control practices. Identifying new infections is crucial because α‐IFN treatment results in long term clearance of HCV RNA in a large proportion of patients. J. Med. Virol. 77:70–76, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.