Earlier Testing of Infants With Perinatal Hepatitis C Exposure: A Key Step Toward Elimination
“Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection continues to be a major national public health problem and is targeted for domestic and global elimination. Driven by the ongoing opioid epidemic, HCV incidence has been rising in the United States over the past decade, with highest infection rates among young adults including women of childbearing age. This is significant because if these young adults with HCV viremia get pregnant, their infants are perinatally exposed to the virus. In 2020, as part of a strategy to increase testing of all adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended universal HCV antibody screening with every pregnancy, a critical first step to improve maternal health and enhance identification of infants at risk for HCV.”
No increased risk for COVID-19 related mortality associated with HCV alone
“BOSTON — In the absence of cirrhosis, no specific precautions are needed for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and a history of hepatitis C virus, according to findings presented at The Liver Meeting.”
Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir with tenofovir alafenamide efficacious for HCV, HBV co-infection
“BOSTON — After 12 weeks of treatment with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir in combination with tenofovir alafenamide, patients with hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus co-infection demonstrated high rates of sustained virologic response. Moreover, patients did not experience reactivation of HBV DNA during the treatment period, according to data presented at The Liver Meeting.”
New Model Uses Longitudinal Data to Predict HCC Risk in Patients with HCV-Related Cirrhosis
“A recently developed longitudinal model for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk after sustained virologic response (SVR) using repeatedly measured data in a random survival forest (RSF) algorithm yielded accurate predictions and outperformed a baseline model.”
Two-Week DAA Prophylaxis Prevents Hep C After Kidney Transplant
“TUESDAY, Nov. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Two-week direct-acting antiviral (DAA) prophylaxis prevents hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in individuals without HCV viremia who received kidney transplant (KT) from donors with HCV viremia (HCV D+/R−), according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.”
Editorial: Louisiana leading the way for once. Can U.S. follow the model?
“Louisiana is hardly leading the nation in an arena of vital importance to every human, health care. But a Louisiana innovation is now being pushed by the White House as a way to tackle the dread disease of hepatitis C.”
Free hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis testing for the month of December
“Southeastern Idaho Public Health will be offering free rapid hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis testing to individuals throughout the month of December in all their county locations. Testing only takes a few minutes and you can get results before you leave. Visit siphidaho.org to locate a clinic near you. Same-day appointments are available. There is only one way to know — get tested.”
Videos:
Curing your Patients from Hepatitis C: Addressing Complex Needs with Simplified Treatment Approaches : Episode 4
Baseline Lab Test to initiate HCV treatment
