Open AccessPrevalence of Hepatitis C and treatment uptake in regional Victoria
Author(s) -
Glenister Kristen,
Kemp William,
Tomic Dunya,
Simmons David,
Roberts Stuart
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/1753-6405.13040
Subject(s) - medicine , public health , hepatitis c , hepatitis c virus , metropolitan area , stigma (botany) , social stigma , cross sectional study , liver function , liver fibrosis , fibrosis , family medicine , immunology , pathology , virus , psychiatry , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv)
Objective : The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in regional Victoria and assess amenability to treatment. Methods : Households were randomly selected and one adult from each was invited to a ‘clinic’, which included HCV, liver function and liver stiffness/fibrosis tests. Participants reactive to HCV were asked about their amenability to treatment. Results : The study identified eight cases of HCV (antibody and PCR reactive, 1.1%) among 748 participants, half of which were new diagnoses. Most of the HCV‐reactive participants were male (89%). Liver function and fibrosis were not significantly different between HCV‐reactive and non‐reactive participants. Most participants notified of their HCV were amenable to treatment. Conclusions : The prevalence of HCV in this regional Victorian study (1.1%) was similar to the Australian modelled prevalence estimates. Most participants were amenable to treatment. Implications for public health : The unique opportunity to eliminate HCV requires a reorientation of the public health response toward systematic implementation of treatment to address barriers and reduce stigma and discrimination for marginalised populations. This should include targeting regional areas where the HCV prevalence of undiagnosed cases may be higher than metropolitan areas.