Open AccessSurveillance of screening for hepatitis C through the laboratory network RENA-VHC, France, 2000-2001
Author(s) -
Christine Meffre,
Christine Larsen,
Alessandra Perin,
Lilia Bouraoui,
Elisabeth Delarocque-Astagneau
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
euro surveillance/eurosurveillance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.766
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1560-7917
pISSN - 1025-496X
DOI - 10.2807/esm.08.05.00410-en
Subject(s) - medicine , demography , pediatrics , sociology
Over the period 2000-2001, 189 private or hospital laboratories scattered throughout France participated to the laboratory network RENA-VHC. A total of 759 591 serologies (screening tests and validation of screeningtests) were performed, revealing an increase of 10% between 2000 and 2001. The rate of the amount of teststo validate screening found positive over the overall amount of tests performed was 1.2% in 2000 and 1.0%in 2001. This suggests that screening covered more people with little risk of acquiring HCV infection. The per-sonsconfirmed HCV positive were predominantly men (sex ratio 1.5) of which 31% were30 to 39 years of age.